Pirate attack foiled in Gulf of Aden
(B2) An attack MV Lord Mountbatten, a freighter belonging to the Greek company British Bulkers flying the Liberian flag, was foiled by the Indian Navy in mid-May, about 230 nautical miles southwest of the Omani port of Salalah in the Gulf of Aden.
Two dhows and eight skiffs
It was around 16:45 p.m. on May 16, 2017 when the ship's crew made a distress call, reporting the presence in the vicinity of two suspicious mother craft, pulling 7 to 8 skiffs, which were approaching the ship, according to a press release from the Indian Navy. THE INS Sharda, who was then 30 miles to the east, then put the 'throttle' to reach the scene as quickly as possible. Arrived in the area, around 19 p.m., the Sharda actually spotted two dhows pulling eight skiffs in the vicinity. When the warship arrived, three fled at high speed with their occupants.
An attempted pirate attack
The marine commandos (MARCOS), with the support of the on-board helicopter, visited the suspect ships. And after investigation, they came to the conclusion that they were indeed pirates. " The absence of any fishing equipment on board the two dhows and five other skiffs clearly indicated malicious intentions and, in a probable way, related to piracy says the Indian Navy. A Kalashnikov type rifle with a full magazine (28 rounds) was found hidden on board one of the dhows. The gun and ammunition were confiscated.
NB: INS Sharda has been deployed as part of the Indian Navy's anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since 6 April.
(NGV)
