The Indian Navy prevents an attempt by Somali pirates to hijack a US-owned tanker in the Gulf of Aden, off Somalia's coast.

The pirates made an attempt to hijack the private tanker, MT Nordic Spirit, by firing small arms at the crew members.

"The crew immediately sent out a distress signal and an Indian Navy ship, which was in the vicinity, responded to the SOS call," India's Navy spokesman Captain M. Nambiar said.

The warship, patrolling the piracy-infested Gulf of Aden since last year to protect transiting ships, flew out its helicopters with marine commandos to the endangered ship. The pirates on seeing them gave up their attempt to hijack the ship and left the area, the spokesman added.

The number of attacks in the Gulf of Aden and further out in the
Indian Ocean in 2009 is almost double the 2008 figure, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

As of November 30, there have been a total of 204 attacks by the pirates in the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. Of those attacks, 42 were successful.

PRESSTV