India takes on pirates, foils two bids in Somali waters

QUICK THINKING: M V Jag Arnav transmitted an SOS message about a hijack attempt, about 60 nautical miles east of Aden.

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New Delhi: Faced with the increasing menace of piracy in international waters, the Government has empowered the Indian Navy to use force against pirates attacking merchant ships.

On Tuesday morning, the Navy used the free hand to foil two separate piracy bids by Somali pirates to hijack an Indian and a Saudi Arabian merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden.

According to the Indian Navy statement, at 1030 Hrs IST, M V Jag Arnav — a 38,000-ton Indian cargo ship — transmitted an SOS message about a hijack attempt on it about 60 nautical miles east of Aden.

Indian Navy stealth frigate INS Tabar — recently deployed in Somali waters to curb piracy — picked up the signal and immediately sent out an armed helicopter with marine commandoes, who fired at the pirates, eventually forcing them to beat a hasty retreat.

“This timely and successful intervention led to the pirates aborting their attempt. The naval ship escorted the Indian merchant ship to safety," Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Nirad Sinha said.