New Delhi, December 20
Foiling yet another attempt of piracy off the coast of Aden, the Indian Navy last evening launched a chopper to first scare the pirates and assure safe passage for a merchant ship ‘MV Soderling Ace’ that is registered in Cayman Islands. For the past one year or so the Navy has permanently deployed one of its warships in the area.
The INS Godavari got a distress call from the merchant ship at 5:30 pm yesterday that a white coloured pirate’s skiff was approaching it. A helicopter was launched and Navy personnel on board fired warning shots at the skiff that had seven armed pirates approaching to take over ship, said Naval officials today.
The INS Godavari was located around two miles from the merchant vessel. The seeing the chopper firing the skiff stopped. A team was also launched through the sea and it boarded the skiff. Materials like ladders used to board ships were found even as the pirates had thrown all their weapons into the sea. “This is new tactic as the pirates drop their weapons in the sea and they did the same today on seeing the Navy chopper coming towards them,” officials here said.
This was the second successful anti-piracy operation by INS Godavari that has been deputed in the area since mid-November. Earlier this month, the Navy had thwarted an attempt by pirates to hijack a US-owned tanker in the area off the coast of Somalia.
