Yesterday the AP had nothing
but good news to report off the coast of
Somalia.
A multinational force of warships has carved out a narrow
shipping corridor off the coast of Somalia that is helping protect
merchant vessels from pirate attacks, the force's commander said
Monday...
In a telephone interview from his East African base in Djibouti,
Christensen said coalition naval forces were also having success
using planes, helicopters and drones to find and track suspect
vessels until they can be boarded and searched...
The multinational force created the shipping channel to better
focus its patrols in the vast area. The zone is about 600 miles
long and just three to six miles wide. It runs roughly north-south,
allowing ships to safely bypass the Somali coast on their way to
and from the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
The naval forces have captured six pirate attack teams — around
60 people — since October, Christensen said. But after seizing
their weapons and equipment, the sailors must release the bandits
at sea to sail back to Somalia because no country has been willing
to bring them to trial.
The bandits have already shifted their tactics in response to
the patrols, positioning attack teams on the northern and southern
ends of the shipping zone to stretch the already thin naval forces,
Christensen said.
The Indian warship, which was deployed in the region on October
23 in the wake of rising attacks by pirates on merchant vessels,
received an SOS from the Saudi ship at around 1000 hours after a
group of pirates surrounded it.
Marine commandos on board INS Tabar flew out in an armed helicopter
and launched an assault on the attackers, who were in five speed
boats, forcing them to flee into the Somali waters.
Even as this operation was on, the warship received a panic call
from MV Jag Arnav, a merchant vessel owned by Mumbai-based Great
Eastern Shipping Company, with about 20 crew members on
board.
Arnav, a 38,265-tonne bulk carrier, was also ambushed by
heavily-armed pirates in speed boats soon after it crossed Suez
Canal and was eastward bound, the Indian Navy said here.
The pirates were firing at the vessel and making attempt to board
it.
The Indian warship, after securing the Saudi ship and escorting it
to safety, rushed marine commandos on a helicopter. The commandos
engaged the pirates, forcing them to flee into the Somalian
waters.