"Indian Navy Thwarts Somali Pirate Hijacking of Cargo Ship Ruen"

The Indian navy intercepted the hijacked cargo ship Ruen, demanding that the Somali pirates on board surrender after they allegedly opened fire on the navy ship in international waters. The pirates seized the Maltese-flagged vessel in December and may have used it in the takeover of a Bangladesh-flagged cargo ship off the coast of Somalia. This marks the first successful hijacking of a merchant ship by Somali pirates since 2017, with at least 17 incidents recorded by the Indian navy since December. India has deployed warships to provide security against pirates and investigated over 250 vessels.