Number of Malacca Strait Ship Attacks Decreases

The number of attacks on ships in the Malacca Strait fell sharply in the first nine months of this year due to Indonesia's efforts to boost naval and air patrols, according to an AFX News report. The International Maritime Bureau credits the reduction to an increase in patrols by Indonesia on its side of the strait. The country launched large-scale sea and air patrols in July to enforce maritime security in the Malacca Strait in an operation codenamed Gurita 2005, according to the report. As a result, there was a sharp drop in attacks to 10 in the first nine months of 2005 from 25 a year earlier in the narrow strait. The figures for the first few months of 2005 were also affected by last year's Dec 26 Indian Ocean tsunami, which devastated parts of Indonesia and also curtailed pirates' activities. The Malacca Strait waterway is used by around 50,000 ships a year carrying one third of world trade. Source: AFX News