Indian Navy foils Somali pirates' hijack bid

The key problem is that no one wants to go ashore and take on the Somali warlords responsible for the surge in piracy. No wonder, as the natural state of Somalia, over the last few centuries, has been violent anarchy. This would be bloody, mainly for the Somalis, and no nation wants to get accused of war crimes and brutality by the media.
Somali Pirates Defeat Warships
Indian Navy foils Somali pirates' hijack bid

The Tabar has been patrolling the Gulf of Aden since Oct 23, and has escorted 35 ships safely through the 'pirate-infested waters' Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES

The Indian navy announced that one of its warships in the Gulf of Aden destroyed a ship belonging to Somali pirates while patrolling 285 nautical miles (528km) south-west of Salalah in Oman, on Tuesday evening.

According to early reports, INS Tabar was approaching a pair of high speed launches and a pirate 'mother ship'- used as a base from which to launch attacks.

An Indian navy spokesman said it demanded the vessel stop for investigation but the pirate ship responded by threatening to "blow up the naval warship if it closed on her".

The pirates, who were running around the decks with rocket-propelled grenade launchers and machine-guns, then attacked.

The Indian Navy retaliated by opening fire and that there was an explosion on the pirate vessel, which sank. "Fire broke out on the vessel and explosions were heard, possibly due to exploding ammunition that was stored in the vessel," the Indian navy said.

Some of the pirates tried to escape on two speedboats - the Indian sailors gave chase but one boat was later found abandoned, while a second boat escaped.
Somali pirates attack Indian warship in latest brazen attack