Indian Navy foils pirate attacks

NEW DELHI: In the first operation in the Gulf of Aden since its deployment three weeks back, Indian Navy foiled an attempt by heavily-armed pirates to capture two merchant vessels on Tuesday, including an Indian flag carrier, off the notorious Somalia coast.
    
In a swift action, warship INS Tabar intervened to thwart two near-simultaneous attacks by pirates on an Indian cargo vessel MV Jag Arnav and a Saudi flag carrier MV NCC Thihama within 25 nautical miles of each other this morning.
    
The Indian warship, which was deployed in the region on October 23 in the wake of rising attacks by pirates on merchant vessels, received an SOS from the Saudi ship at around 1000 hours after a group of pirates surrounded it.
    
Marine commandos on board INS Tabar flew out in an armed helicopter and launched an assault on the attackers, who were in five speed boats, forcing them to flee into the Somali waters.
    
Even as this operation was on, the warship received a panic call from MV Jag Arnav, a merchant vessel owned by Mumbai-based Great Eastern Shipping Company, with about 20 crew members on board.
    
Arnav, a 38,265-tonne bulk carrier, was also ambushed by heavily-armed pirates in speed boats soon after it crossed Suez Canal and was eastward bound, the Indian Navy said here.
    
The pirates were firing at the vessel and making attempt to board it.
    
The Indian warship, after securing the Saudi ship and escorting it to safety, rushed marine commandos on a helicopter. The commandos engaged the pirates, forcing them to flee into the Somalian waters.
    
"An armed helicopter with marine commandos was launched from the naval warship to intervene and prevent the pirates from boarding and hijacking the merchant vessel. This timely and successful intervention led to the pirates aborting their attempt," the Navy said.
    
Later, INS Tabar, which was about 25 nautical miles away from the place of pirate attack, closed in on the merchant vessel and escorted it to safety.
    
Lauding the successful operation undertaken by its force, Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta said the warship deployed in the Gulf of Aden would ensure safety of "sovereign assets".
    
In a statement here, the Navy chief said "piracy is a crime which all men of war are required to combat at all times."
    
He said Indian naval ships operating in pirate-infested 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 safety of our sovereign assets is maintained."