Indian Navy Thwarts Pirate Attack

On 11 Nov 2008, an attack by pirates on the Indian ship MV Jag Arnav in the Gulf of Aden was thwarted by an Indian naval warship patrolling in the area.

This attack on MV Jag Arnav took place at about 1030 h on the morning of 11 Nov 2008, when the ship was 60 nm east of Aden. The alarm raised by the merchant ship was monitored by an Indian naval ship patrolling in the vicinity.

An armed helicopter with marine commandoes was launched from the naval ship to intervene and prevent the pirates from boarding and hijacking the merchant vessel. This timely and successful intervention led to the pirates aborting their attempt. The naval ship thereafter closed the Indian merchant ship to escort her to safety.

MV Jag Arnav, a 38,265 tonnes bulk carrier is owned by the Great Eastern Shipping Co Ltd. the ship had transited the Suez Canal a few days ago and was eastward bound in the Gulf of Aden when she came under attack from the pirates.

The Indian navy has been conducting anti piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since 23 Oct 2008 as a sizeable portion of the country's trade flows through the Gulf of Aden and there has been a dramatic increase in the number of piracy attacks in this region over the last few months. These patrols are carried out in coordination with the ministry of shipping and are intended to protect Indian merchant vessels from being attacked by pirates and also to instill confidence within India’s large seafaring community.

(Source: Press Information Bureau Government of India)