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The Indian Navy has sent a warship to a merchant ship hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia. The Navy said Friday it had to monitor the situation and ensure the safety of the crew.
It was said that contact could be made with the crew. There were at least 15 Indian crew members on board the Liberian-flagged ‘MV Lila Norfolk’, local news agency ANI reported, citing military personnel.
The crew takes shelter
The British Maritime Observatory (UKTMO) said on Thursday that five to six armed people had boarded the ship, about 460 nautical miles east of the Somali town of Eyl. According to the captain, the crew had barricaded themselves in the ship’s citadel.
The Indian Navy said it had been notified by the UKMTO. Only in December did the Navy send warships into the Arabian Sea after a suspected drone attack.
Pirates hijack cargo ships
The coast off the crisis state of Somalia was a hotspot for pirate attacks a few years ago. As a result of the EU mission ‘Atalanta’, which has been active since 2008 to combat piracy there, attacks have decreased significantly. According to the IMB Piracy Reporting Center, there was another attack on December 14 in which a cargo ship was hijacked and driven to Somalia.
Somalia is located in the Horn of Africa, on the other side of the Gulf of Aden from Yemen. Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have repeatedly attacked ships in the Red Sea to prevent them from sailing to Israel.
The Red Sea is considered one of the most important shipping lanes for world trade as it connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal in Egypt. (SDA)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
