The Indian navy says it intercepted a bulk carrier that was hijacked by Somali pirates and demanded they surrender.

The navy said it intercepted the Maltese-flagged MV Ruen on Friday after it opened fire on an Indian warship in international waters.

“The pirates onboard the vessel have been called upon to surrender and release the vessel and any civilians they may be holding against their will,” the navy said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.

The vessel was boarded by pirates on December 14 and had 18 crew onboard when it was hijacked near the Yemeni island of Socotra, around 150 miles off Somalia.

Activity by Somali pirates has dropped in recent years, but there has been growing concern it could resume amid the political uncertainty and wider chaos in the region that has included attacks on global shipping by Yemeni Houthi rebels.

India recently began to flex its its naval power in international waters, including anti-piracy patrols and a widely publicised deployment close to the Red Sea to help protect ships from attacks during Israel’s war with Hamas.

The navy has helped at least four merchant vessels that were attacked in high seas by Houthi rebels. Indian forces include three guided missile destroyers and reconnaissance aircraft.