Dhaka, March 25 -- After hijacking the cargo vessel MV Ruen, which was recovered by the Indian Navy, Somali pirates demanded 5 billion Indian rupees as ransom to free the ship and its crew.

The Indian Navy freed the ship, rescued 17 crew members and apprehended 35 pirates, the Hindustan Times said, citing Mumbai police on Sunday.

The operation began in the Arabian Sea on Mar 15 and ended after a 40-hour combat engagement. The Indian Navy brought Somali pirates to Mumbai aboard the warship INS Kolkata on Saturday, days after they were captured by Indian forces around 260 nautical miles from the Garacad Port in Puntland, Somalia.

The pirates called the owners and demanded 5 billion Indian rupees as ransom for the ship and the crew. That ...