Authorities in Somalia’s Puntland region announced on Saturday that Somali pirates, who had hijacked the cargo ship MV Ruen, engaged in a shootout with an Indian navy warship in international waters.
Puntland Ports Minister Ahmed Yasin Salah stated that the pirates, accused of hijacking the Maltese-flagged bulk cargo vessel on December 14, exchanged gunfire with the Indian navy on Friday.
“We received the information regarding the gunfight Friday afternoon,” Salah said. “Once we followed up with our reliable sources, we were told that the Indian navy engaged in a gunfight with the Somali pirates.”
During an interview with VOA Somali Service, Salah revealed that the pirates aboard the Ruen had been navigating along the Somali coast for months.
He mentioned that the Indian navy intercepted them on Friday as they approached another pirate-held vessel, the MV Abdullah. However, it remains unclear whether the Somali pirates intended to use the hijacked Ruen to seize control of the Bangladesh-flagged cargo ship Abdullah.
According to Reuters, quoting an Indian navy spokesperson, the Somali pirates fired upon the Indian navy ship in international waters on Friday.
Commencing with the Reuters report, it was stated that the navy had issued a call to the pirates, urging them to surrender and release the vessel along with any civilians they might be holding.
According to Salah, his administration lacked details regarding casualties or whether the Indian navy warship managed to compel the pirates to surrender.
Until the Ruen’s seizure, there had been no successful hijacking of a merchant ship by Somali pirates since 2017.
Indian officials have reported at least 17 incidents of hijacking, attempted hijacking, or suspicious approaches by the Indian navy since December.
In January, India deployed at least a dozen warships east of the Red Sea to enhance security against piracy, conducting investigations on over 250 vessels.
Somalia has long grappled with piracy, reaching its peak in 2011 with over 160 attacks recorded off its coast, as reported by the U.N.
However, incidents have significantly decreased since then, largely attributed to the presence of American and allied navies in international waters.
Recently, a small contingent of Somalia’s maritime forces has been observed conducting patrols in the Indian Ocean waters near Mogadishu, the capital, as part of an ongoing effort by Mogadishu to rebuild its maritime security capabilities.
Concurrently with those endeavors, Somalia’s executive and legislative branches ratified a pivotal 10-year defense and economic cooperation pact with Turkey last month.
Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre of Somalia stated that, as per the agreement, Turkey will undertake the construction, training, and equipping of the Somali navy, aiming to alleviate concerns regarding terrorism, piracy, illegal fishing, toxic dumping, and any external infringements or threats along Somalia’s coastline.
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