New Delhi: Pirates off Somalia’s coast beat a hasty retreat when Indian navy commandos challenged them in the Gulf of Aden.
The pirates had attempted to take over Indian merchant vessel MV Jag Arnav, which was on its way back home and sent out a distress signal.
The Indian navy warship INS Tabar responded to the distress signal and launched marine commandos on to challenge the pirates.
The commandos fired at the pirates, who then abandoned the hijack bid and fled. The incident occurred at around 1030 hrs IST off the Gulf of Aden
"This timely and successful intervention led to the pirates aborting their attempt. The naval ship thereafter closed in on the Indian merchant ship to escort her to safety," said a statement from the Defence Ministry.
All crew on board the Indian merchant vessel are safe. MV Jag Arnav is a 38,000 tonne bulk carrier owned by the Great Eastern Shipping Company.
The ship was eastward bound after transiting through the Suez Canal a few days ago. It is now being escorted out of the piracy-prone area by the warship.
Commenting on the rescue mission, Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta said: "Piracy is a crime which all men of war are required to combat at all times.
"Indian Naval Ships operating in piracy infected areas are always in a high state of alert and have the capability to intervene by air or ship borne weapons. Their mandate is to ensure that the safety of our sovereign assets is maintained," Mehta added.
The Associated Press reports the Indian Navy last month sent warships to the Gulf of Aden — one of the world's busiest shipping lanes—on an anti-piracy patrol to protect Indian vessels during passage between Oman and Yemen.
Somalia's coastline has been identified by the International Maritime Bureau as the area with the highest risk of piracy in the world.
A Philippines chemical tanker with 23 crew members was hijacked near Somalia on Monday, bringing the total number of attacks in waters off the east African nation this year to 83, a maritime official said on Tuesday.
(With inputs from IANS and The Associated Press)
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