Somali police and international navies were preparing on March 18 to attack the 'Abdullah', that was hijacked by pirates in the latest of more than 20 attacks since November by Somali pirates, two days after Indian commandos rescued the 'Ruen', also held by pirates. The police force from the semi-autonomous region of Puntland was on high alert and prepared to participate in an operation against the pirates holding the 'Abdullah', after they got reports that international navies were planning an attack. On March 17, the Puntland police said they had seized a vehicle that was transporting the narcotic khat to be supplied to the pirates on board the 'Abdullah'. Meherul Karim, chief executive officer of SR Shipping, stated on March 18 that they had not been informed of any such plan: "The safety of our crew members is our top priority. We couldn't afford to risk the lives of our sailors, so we declined the proposal for a rescue operation by the EU Maritime Force and the Indian Navy. We have already informed the government to deny any further approach to conduct military operations. The news of preparation to launch an attack caught our attention and we are trying to communicate with the government as we do not have any plan to allow any military intervention on the ship as there is always a risk of casualties on board." The ship was located four nautical miles from the Godobjiraan shore in north-eastern Somalia as of March 17.
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ABDULLAH
Despite six days passing, the pirates who hijacked the 'Abdullah' have made no contact with the ship's owner and have not issued any demands. The owner has reached out to various media outlets seeking assistance in securing the safe return of the ship and its crew. The Kabir Group stated on March 16: "All sailors aboard the hijacked ship are in good health. A sailor contacted the owners on Saturday night to update them on their condition. However, food supplies on board are depleting rapidly as the pirates are sharing meals with the sailors. We are actively working to ensure the safe return of the crew. We have initiated contact with several media outlets for assistance, but have yet to receive a favourable response." Meanwhile, for the past six days, family members of the 23 sailors held hostage have been enduring extreme anxiety. Some relatives have fallen ill due to the stress.
RUEN
The 35 Somali pirates who surrendered to the Indian navy after it freed the'Ruen' are being brought back to India to stand trial. The pirates had hijacked the bulk carrier with the intention of using it as a mothership to launch attacks on other commercial vessels in the region. They also shot down a small observation drone flown from the destroyer INS 'Kolkata' during the rescue operation. The pirates opened fire on the warship, thereby implicating in an act of aggression against the Indian Navy, which is why they are being brought back to India. In a calibrated response in line with international laws, the INS 'Kolkata' disabled the ship's steering system and navigation aids, forcing it to stop. The Indian Navy forced the pirates to surrender and secured the release of 17 crew members from Bulgaria, Angola and the Myanmar, without any injuries. The pirates will be prosecuted in accordance with international law and guidelines. There was concern that if these pirates were allowed to leave, they could regroup and restart their attacks.
PACIFIC 01
The Houthis announced on March 15, 2024, that they attacked the 'Pacific 01' while it was traveling in the Red Sea. The ship reported an explosion while traveling in the Red Sea about 65 nautical miles west of Al Hudaydah, Yemen. The Houthis then claimed responsibility for the attack on the ship and referred to the vessel as an "Israeli ship". The ship's crew was reportedly safe. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations initially reported that the ship had been hit by a missile. However, the UKMTO reversed its statement after a daylight inspection of the vessel revealed that no damage was found to the vessel. The ship and crew were described as safe and continued their voyage.
RUEN
The operation of the INS 'Kolkata' to re-capture the 'Ruen' lasted 40 hours. Through concerted actions the crew successfully cornered and coerced all 35 Pirates to surrender and ensured the safe evacuation of the 17 crew members in the evening of March 16 without any injury almost 1400 nautrical miles from the Indian Coast, and forced the pirate ship to stop through calibrated actions which were augmented by the INS'Subhadra', RPA 'Hale', the maritime patrol aircraft 'P 81' and Marcos Prahars air-dropped by a C-17 aircraft. The 'Ruen' has also been sanitised for the presence of illegal arms, ammunition and contraband. Reports with photos: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/thats-what-friends-are-for-india-bulgarias-sweet-exchange-after-rescue-of-hijacked-ship-article-108567452