Need international effort to tackle piracy without: AK Antony

Calling for an international effort under the United Nations to tackle piracy, defence minister AK Antony today said it will "not be easy" to defeat the menace without such an arrangement.

"Unless there is a combined effort by the United Nations, it will not be easy to defeat this threat of piracy," he told reporters on the sidelines of an ex-servicemen function.

Antony said the situation in Somalia also needed to be tackled to prevent these incidents from taking place.

The minister said even though all the major navies of the world including those of the US, UK, France, China and Russia were involved, without such an international effort, it will be difficult to tackle the issue.

Antony said after being pressurised by the international forces, Somali pirates are moving towards India.

"In the last 12 months, there have been more than a dozen attempts by the pirates mostly around the Lakshadweep area after which the Navy and the Coast guard have strengthened their presence and increased surveillance there," he said.