11-12-2008, 08:34 PM
A significant development off the coast of Africa
Quote
Issue Date: Wednesday , November 12 , 2008
Navy saves vessel in pirate channel
OUR BUREAU AND PTI
New Delhi, Nov. 11: Indian Navy commandos descended from a chopper to save a pirate-besieged Indian ship off Somalia today, the forceâs first action since they began patrolling the troubled waters last month.
The ship, MV Jag Arnav, with 20 sailors had crossed the Suez Canal when the pirates, on three speedboats and armed with automatic weapons, surrounded it in the Gulf of Aden around 10.30am, navy sources said, adding the site was 60 nautical miles off Aden.
The commandos were sent from a navy frigate, INS Tabar, which first got an SOS from a Saudi ship, NCC Thihama. As they repulsed the attack on the Saudi vessel, a second SOS came from Jag Arnav. The commandos then rushed to MV Jag Arnav, about 25 nautical miles away, and saved the Indian carrier, owned by Great Eastern Shipping Company.
âA helicopter with commandos was launched from the warship to prevent the pirates from boarding and hijacking the merchant vessel,â a navy official said. The pirates fled. Later, the warship reached the carrier and escorted it to safety.
The navy had deployed the warship on October 23 with powers to intervene if an Indian vessel was attacked. The move followed the hijacking of a Japanese vessel, Stolt Valor, with 18 Indian sailors on board, on September 15. The sailors are still being held hostage and their families have appealed to the Indian government to save them.
A large portion of Indiaâs exports and imports passes through the Gulf of Aden, where piracy attacks have increased over the past few months.
Union shipping minister T.R. Baalu had written to defence minister A. K. Antony urging him to send naval warships to protect Indian merchant vessels.
The navy sources said the patrols were aimed at instilling confidence among the large number of sailors from India.
Todayâs incident came a day after the hijacking of a tanker from the Philippines with a crew of 23 members not far from where Jag Arnav was saved.
Noel Choong, the head of the Kuala Lumpur-based International Maritime Bureauâs piracy reporting centre, said he âwas awareâ of todayâs attack on the Indian vessel but added that he was âverifying with the shipâ.
Choong said the tanker from Philippines was captured by pirates armed with rocket-propelled grenades. He said 83 such attacks had occurred off Somalia this year.
Nato has also sent warships to the region, one of the worldâs busiest shipping channels, to help the US Navy in their anti-piracy patrols and to escort cargo vessels.
Many ships have fended off pirate attacks after seeking help from the coalitionâs warships.
Unquote
Quote
Issue Date: Wednesday , November 12 , 2008
Navy saves vessel in pirate channel
OUR BUREAU AND PTI
New Delhi, Nov. 11: Indian Navy commandos descended from a chopper to save a pirate-besieged Indian ship off Somalia today, the forceâs first action since they began patrolling the troubled waters last month.
The ship, MV Jag Arnav, with 20 sailors had crossed the Suez Canal when the pirates, on three speedboats and armed with automatic weapons, surrounded it in the Gulf of Aden around 10.30am, navy sources said, adding the site was 60 nautical miles off Aden.
The commandos were sent from a navy frigate, INS Tabar, which first got an SOS from a Saudi ship, NCC Thihama. As they repulsed the attack on the Saudi vessel, a second SOS came from Jag Arnav. The commandos then rushed to MV Jag Arnav, about 25 nautical miles away, and saved the Indian carrier, owned by Great Eastern Shipping Company.
âA helicopter with commandos was launched from the warship to prevent the pirates from boarding and hijacking the merchant vessel,â a navy official said. The pirates fled. Later, the warship reached the carrier and escorted it to safety.
The navy had deployed the warship on October 23 with powers to intervene if an Indian vessel was attacked. The move followed the hijacking of a Japanese vessel, Stolt Valor, with 18 Indian sailors on board, on September 15. The sailors are still being held hostage and their families have appealed to the Indian government to save them.
A large portion of Indiaâs exports and imports passes through the Gulf of Aden, where piracy attacks have increased over the past few months.
Union shipping minister T.R. Baalu had written to defence minister A. K. Antony urging him to send naval warships to protect Indian merchant vessels.
The navy sources said the patrols were aimed at instilling confidence among the large number of sailors from India.
Todayâs incident came a day after the hijacking of a tanker from the Philippines with a crew of 23 members not far from where Jag Arnav was saved.
Noel Choong, the head of the Kuala Lumpur-based International Maritime Bureauâs piracy reporting centre, said he âwas awareâ of todayâs attack on the Indian vessel but added that he was âverifying with the shipâ.
Choong said the tanker from Philippines was captured by pirates armed with rocket-propelled grenades. He said 83 such attacks had occurred off Somalia this year.
Nato has also sent warships to the region, one of the worldâs busiest shipping channels, to help the US Navy in their anti-piracy patrols and to escort cargo vessels.
Many ships have fended off pirate attacks after seeking help from the coalitionâs warships.
Unquote