Over more than 40 hours, the Indian Navy executed a daring operation to rescue seven Bulgarian nationals who were part of a crew held hostage by pirates aboard the hijacked ship MV Ruen. Bulgaria expressed gratitude to India for its swift and courageous intervention, with President Rumen Radev and Deputy Prime Minister Mariya Gabriel extending thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar respectively.
Prime Minister Modi affirmed India's commitment to safeguarding freedom of navigation and combating piracy and terrorism in the Indian Ocean region. He expressed satisfaction at the safe recovery of the Bulgarian nationals, who are set to return home soon.
The successful operation, which saw the surrender of 35 pirates and the rescue of all 17 crew members without any injuries, involved the deployment of Indian Navy assets including the P-8I aircraft, INS Kolkata, INS Subhadra, and an unmanned aerial vehicle. Additionally, MARCOS commandos were air-dropped for the mission by a C-17 aircraft.
The MV Ruen, which had been seized by Somali pirates on December 14 the previous year, was reportedly heading towards engaging in acts of piracy before the Indian Navy intervened. The operation underscores India's proactive stance in combating maritime threats and upholding maritime security in the region.
