A drone of the Houthis was intercepted in the Red Sea by the helicopter on board a French frigate, the 'Languedoc' or 'Alsace', which was targeting a merchant ship on March 20, 2024. Both ships were deployed to the Middle East as part of the EU mission Aspides, launched on Feb 19 to protect ships threatened by Yemen's Houthi rebels. The French Army did not specify which frigate had intercepted the drone nor indicated the exact location of the incident. The French navy has already intercepted drones probably fired by the Houthis on several occasions. Report with photos: https://www.leparisien.fr/international/mer-rouge-la-marine-francaise-intercepte-un-nouveau-drone-tire-depuis-le-yemen-20-03-2024-GEW62ZZZCBD3HBGIQYZBJQ6HBI.php
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RUEN
The Indian Navy’s re-capturing of the 'Ruen' from pirates off Somalia’s coast has showed how Delhi’s military has developed special forces capabilities on par with some of the world’s best, analysts said. The operation involved a navy destroyer, a patrol ship, an Indian Air Force C-17 transporter flying more than 1,500 miles to airdrop marine commandos, a naval drone, a reconnaissance drone and a P-8 surveillance jet. The success of the operation marks the Indian Navy as a top-class force in terms of training, command and control and other capabilities, according to the Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs. The risk was minimized by using a coordinated force that includes use of a warship, drones, fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, and marine commandos. Spanish, Japanese and Indian warships had tracked the bulk carrier as it was taken into Somali territorial waters. When the 'Ruen', now operated by a pirate crew, last week left Somali waters with the intent of committing acts of piracy on the high seas, the Indian Navy made moves to intercept it. The destroyer INS 'Kolkata', operating in the area to help ensure international maritime security, used a ship-launched drone to confirm the 'Ruen' was being operated by armed pirates. After the pirates fired on the drone, destroying it, and then on the Indian warship itself, the INS 'Kolkata' responded by firing on the 'Ruen', disabling its steering and navigation. As the INS 'Kolkata' sought the surrender of the pirates, the commandos parachuted in after a 10-hour flight from India. Rafts were also dropped into the ocean from the large transport for marines to reach the 'Ruen'. The Indian show of force proved too much for the pirates. Due to sustained pressure and calibrated actions by the Indian Navy over the last 40 hours, all 35 Somali pirates surrendered. Bulgarian leaders, including President Rumen Radev, thanked India and its Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the operation. The incident highlighted the professionalism of the Indian Navy, and Delhi’s marine commando force, known as MARCOS, had learned from its US and British counterparts. The captured pirates were due to arrive in India on March 23 and will be handed over to the law enforcement agencies for prosecution.
MADO
Yemen's Houthi Rebels claimed attacks targeting the 'Mado’ in the Gulf of Aden. The vessel was twice targeted by Houthi missiles on March 15 and March 17, 2024, with the attacks both times missing the vessel. The missile fired on March 17 missed the ship only by 200 meters. The LPG tanker was heading to Singapore from Yanbu in Saudi Arabia at the time of the attacks.
YANGTZE CROWN
On March 6, 2024, at 12.35 a.m. three perpetrators boarded the 'Yangtze Crown', en route from Corpus Christi to Tianjin off Pulau Cula in pos. 1° 3.33' N 02° 103.40.23' E, The pirates stole engine spare parts. The ship berthed at the Tianjin Port Fourth Stevedoring Company Terminal on March 18.
ABDULLAH
On March 18 the 'Abdullah' was moved north thrice before it anchored four nautical miles off the Somali coast. The Somali pirates were constantly moving the vessel to avoid attacks by British and Indian naval ships, exploiting an international law that prohibits foreign vessels within 12 nautical miles of a country's maritime border. Bangladesh was looking to peacefully end the hostage situation to bring the sailors back safely. An officer of the Department of Naval Trade said, “We do not want to encourage the use of force if there is a risk. We prioritise rescuing the personnel first, then ships and cargo.” A joint team of Somali police and international navies was preparing to launch an operation to free the ship and the 23 sailors on board. The Kabir Group, the owner of the ship, said that they are not aware of any such operations, stating: “Our priority is to bring back the sailors safely. A clear message has been given by the government to various international navies regarding such operations. We have no idea about the operations of the international navy.” The Somalian pirates have communicated with the KSRM Group eight days after the ship was hijacked on March 20 at noon. The pirates did not claim any ransom money. All the sailors held hostage by the pirates were said to be in good health.