All you need to know about 'Operation Sankalp'

New Delhi: In an anti-piracy “Operation Sankalp", the Indian forces have rescued the crew of the bulk carrier vessel called MV Ruen which was hijacked by Somali pirates near the Yemeni island of Socotra recently.

As part of the Operation Sankalp, the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) C-17 aircraft executed a precision air-born drop of two boats along with Indian Navy MARCOS in the Arabian Sea on Saturday.

Hailing the operation, the Indian Air Force in a post on X said: “In a remarkable display of Jointness & Integration, an IAF C-17 aircraft executed a precision Airborne Drop of two Combat Rubberised Raiding Craft (CRRC) boats, along with Indian Navy MARCOS in the Arabian Sea in support of ongoing anti-piracy Op Sankalp."

“Flying for almost 10 hrs to an area 2600 kms off the Indian Coast, the Op was carried out to rescue crew of bulk carrier vessel MV Ruen. The ship was hijacked by Somali pirates near Yemeni island of Socotra recently. Working seamlessly with @indiannavy, the mission was successful with all the 17 crew on-board recovered safely," the IAF added.

MV Ruen was under the control of Somalian pirates since last December, the Indian Navy said in a statement.

“INS Kolkata, a mission deployed in the Arabian Sea, through the sustained high tempo of operations, has thwarted the designs of the Somali pirates to hijack ships transiting through the region by intercepting the pirate ship MV Ruen, on March 16. The merchant vessel had been hijacked in December 2023 and was under the control of the Somalian Pirates till now,” said the Indian Navy, adding that 35 pirates were coerced to surrender.

(Defence Watch– India’s Defence News centre that places the spotlight on Defence Manufacturing, Defence Technology, Strategy and Military affairs is on Twitter. Follow us here and stay updated.)