The seven Bulgarian nationals who the Indian Navy saved from the hijacked ship are safe and will soon be returning to their homeland, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told President Rumen Radev on Tuesday.
The bulk cargo ship MV Ruen, flying the Maltese flag, was carrying about 35 Somali pirates when they submitted under 40 hours of “sustained pressure” and calculated Indian Navy actions. The MV Ruen’s 17 crew members, including 7 Bulgarian nationals, were all securely and painlessly removed off the ship.
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.”
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. https://t.co/nIUaY6UJjP
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 19, 2024
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.”
Source:IE