Click to play videoNew Delhi: It is now the scourge of the dreaded Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden. For the fourth time in two months, the Indian Navy on Saturday took the bandits head on foiling a piracy attempt and putting 23 pirates out of business.
Indian Naval Services (INS) Mysore, the Indian Naval destroyer on anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Aden, rescued an Ethiopian ship, MV Gibe. Pirates on a dhow and a smaller boat attacked this merchant ship about 1100 hrs IST, 150 nautical miles west of Aden, firing machine guns to scare the crew.
The Indian warship, which was escorting merchant ships some 13 miles away, responded to the distress call. They launched marine commandos on an armed helicopter and altered course to confront the pirates. The bandits lost nerve on seeing the helicopter and the warships and attempted to flee
The INS Mysore fired warning shots, forcing the pirates to give up. Marine Commandos boarded the pirate dhow, Salahaddin, which had the smaller boat in tow.
Of the 23 pirates arrested, 12 are reported to be Somali and 11 Yemeni. The cache of arms on the pirate ship included seven AK-47 rifles, one rocket propelled grenade launcher, grenades and three other rifles.
The pirates have been taken on board the INS Mysore. They are likely to be handed over to law enforcing authorities in Djibouti.
The Indian anti-piracy patrol is moving full steam ahead undeterred by the adverse publicity which followed the November 18 sinking of a Thai fishing trawler in Indian Naval action against pirates on board.
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