Hijacked Bulgarian nationals rescued by Indian Navy ‘will return home soon’: PM Modi to President Radev

About 35 Somali pirates onboard MV Ruen surrendered after "sustained pressure" and calibrated actions by the Indian Navy for 40 hours.

By: Express Web Desk

New Delhi | Updated: March 19, 2024 09:40 AM IST

2 min read

An IAF C-17 aircraft executed a precision airborne drop of two Combat Rubberised Raiding Craft (CRRC) boats, along with Indian Navy MARCOS in Arabian Sea in support of ongoing anti piracy Op Sankalp. (PTI Photo)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday assured the President of Bulgaria Rumen Radev that the seven Bulgarian nationals rescued from the hijacked ship by the Indian Navy are safe and will be returning to their country soon.

About 35 Somali pirates onboard MV Ruen — the Maltese-flagged bulk cargo vessel — surrendered after “sustained pressure” and calibrated actions by the Indian Navy for 40 hours. All 17 crew members, including 7 Bulgarian nationals of MV Ruen, were safely evacuated from the vessel without any injury.

The Indian Navy on Saturday intercepted a cargo ship hijacked by Somali pirates in a massive high-tempo operation involving drones, navy vessels and marine commandos, and brought back the captured pirates to India for trials. The pirates had hijacked the ship in December last year and had been using the bulk cargo vessel to hijack other vessels transiting through the region.

After successful rescue operations, the President of Bulgaria expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the actions of the Indian Navy. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the President, Rumen Radev wrote, “My sincere gratitude to PM @narendramodi for the brave action of 🇮🇳Navy rescuing the hijacked Bulgarian ship “Ruen” and its crew, including 7 Bulgarian citizens.”

Replying to Radev’s tweet, PM Modi appreciated his message and assured him of the safety of the Bulgarian nationals.

He wrote on X, “Appreciate your message President @PresidentOfBg. We are happy that 7 Bulgarian nationals are safe and will be returning home soon. India is committed to protecting freedom of navigation and combating piracy and terrorism in the Indian Ocean region.”

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