Resurgence of piracy off the coast of Somalia

On March 29th, the Indian Navy responded to a distress call from a trawler intercepted by pirates, the Al Kambar. The fishing vessel was about 90 nautical miles southwest of Socotra - an island in Yemen in the Indian Ocean, off the Horn of Somalia - when nine armed pirates boarded and held hostage the 23 crew members.

To note:

• The trawler was flying the Iranian flag, so it belongs to a country, Iran, which supports the armed struggle of Yemeni Houthi rebels, who regularly attack commercial vessels venturing into the Red Sea.

• The 23 crew members were Pakistani.

• The pirates were likely Somali, given the resurgence of attacks off the coast of Somalia over the past 4 months.

Upon receiving the distress call from the Iranian trawler, the Indian Navy diverted 2 warships to intervene:

• INS Sumedha - a Saryu-class patrol frigate built by Indian Goa shipyards and carrying 120 crew members - intercepted the fishing boat Al-Kambar in the early morning.

• It was then joined by the missile frigate INS Trishul - a heavily armed stealth missile frigate of the Talwar class designed and built by Russia for the Indian Navy, carrying 180 crew members.

After 12 hours of "intense coercive tactical maneuvers," according to the Indian Navy, the 9 pirates surrendered, and the hostages were freed.

The pirates are said to have been taken to India to face piracy-related charges. They will share the fate of several Somali pirates already arrested by Indian forces after attacking fishing boats in the same region in recent weeks, probably in an attempt to use them later as motherships for raids against larger vessels.

Attacks on merchant ships, by launching missiles or kamikaze drones, are easily attributed to the Houthi rebels, who are thus complicating American efforts in the region.

The hostage-taking by pirates boarding ships in the region is more in line with Somali tradition. The resurgence of acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia may be a matter of opportunity in a troubled regional context, but it is not necessarily appropriate to dismiss the idea of the opportune opening of a new hotspot in the Gulf of Oman to occupy the Marines of the coalition led by the Americans.

A leading role in countering maritime piracy

On December 18, 2023, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the formation of an "international coalition in the Red Sea aimed at countering the irresponsible attacks by Houthi rebels from Yemen on maritime traffic." This coalition includes ten countries aligned with the United States: six European countries (France, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain), as well as Bahrain, Canada, and Seychelles.

India, having long maintained a sovereign position on the protection of its borders and maritime space, and also being a member of the BRICS*, has not joined this coalition.

However, it does not refrain from intervening to ensure security in its nearby maritime space or to provide assistance to those in need.

The Indian Navy has therefore decided to play a leading role in thwarting attempts to take hostages at sea and hijack merchant ships off the coast of Somalia, in the Sea of Oman, and in the Gulf of Aden (off Djibouti).

This is what happened on March 29th to help the crew of the trawler Al Kambar, and it is what had already happened on March 14th for the release of the 17 crew members of the MV Ruen, hijacked and held since December 23, 2023.

The operation of the Indian special forces against the MV Ruen

The MV Ruen, a 185-meter-long and 31-meter-wide bulk carrier, was captured about 1400 km southwest of Goa, halfway between Goa (India) and the island of Socotra (Yemen) in the middle of the Arabian Sea.

Indian units were alerted, and the INS Kochi - one of the three stealth and guided missile destroyers built for the Indian Navy by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) - was dispatched to intercept the Ruen before it arrived in Somali territorial waters. Unfortunately, it was in vain…

As part of its maritime security operations, the Indian Navy conducted extensive surveillance of the region and was thus able to track the movements of the MV Ruen, which had become a "mother ship" for pirates.

On March 14, 2024, the intelligence provided allowed the Indian Navy to track the MV Ruen as it departed from the Somali coast and headed into the open sea. It ordered the INS Kolkata - another of the three destroyers of the same class operating in the Gulf of Aden - to divert to intercept it, which was done about 260 Nm east of Somalia.

Thanks to a drone launched from the destroyer, the Indian Navy was able to confirm the presence of 35 armed pirates on the Ruen, who, in a hostile and reckless act, shot down the drone and fired on the Indian Navy warship.

During the 40-hour intervention by the Indian Navy, the Kolkata remained close to the Ruen, and a "calibrated response in accordance with international law" was provided to these hostile acts: among other things, the deactivation of the ship's steering system and navigation aids (NAVAIDS, GPS, Radio Antenna), forcing the pirate ship to stop. It is presumed that combat divers had to work to achieve this result.

At the same time, several attempts at negotiation were made with the "Pirate Chief" to obtain assurance that the hostages were being treated well. Despite the pirates' refusal to surrender, the situation seems to have been resolved after 40 hours, with the pirates surrounded and immobilized with an unrealistic hope of being able to escape.

The anti-piracy operation was completed by the deployment of the INS Subhadra to the area on the morning of March 16th, as well as by the aerial dropping of Marine Commandos (PRAHARS) by C-17 aircraft in the afternoon. In addition, the pirate vessel was kept under surveillance by a HALE drone (high-altitude long-endurance) and a Boeing P-8i Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft.

During the rescue operation, the INS Kolkata managed to force the 35 pirates to surrender and ensure the safe evacuation of the 17 crew members of the Maltese vessel, without any injuries. The captured Somalis are expected to be tried for piracy in India.

Ensuring peace and stability in the region: the mission of the Indian Navy

The hijacking of the MV Ruen in December 2023 marked the return of Somali piracy to the Indian Ocean after a lull of nearly seven years…

"The anti-piracy operation involving the vessel - now pirate - Ruen underlines the Indian Navy's commitment to enhancing peace and stability, as well as countering the resurgence of piracy in the region," Indian authorities said, adding, "the Indian Navy remains committed to fulfilling its role as the first responder in the IOR (Indian Ocean Rim)… The Indian Navy remains committed to ensuring maritime security in the region and the safety of seafarers, regardless of their nationality."

In a forthcoming article, we will revisit the details of the actions carried out by the Indian Navy since December 23, 2023.

*BRICS is a geopolitical group consisting of ten countries from the "Global South": Brazil, China, India, South Africa, Egypt, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia.

** Thanks to the services of the Indian Embassy in Paris for their assistance in gathering information.**