Indian specialist commando units played a key role in seizing back a cargo ship that’d been hijacked by Somali pirates, giving the country a chance to flex its muscles.
The Malta-flagged cargo vessel, the Ruen, was hijacked in December 2023 near Yemen.
It was the first successful seizure of a vessel by Somali pirates since 2017, and added to the unrest around Somalia and the Red Sea.
Over the weekend, India took the Ruen back.
In a post on X, the Indian Navy said the operation had taken 40 hours and resulted in all 17 hostages being freed and 35 pirates being arrested.
Dramatic footage released by the Indian Navy showed commandos parachuting from a navy plane into the sea near the hijacked vessel.
Analysts say the success of the operation highlights the effectiveness of India’s navy units in fighting pirates.
Carl Schuster, a former US Navy captain, told CNN the incident highlighted the professionalism of the Indian Navy and Delhi’s marine commando force, known as …