The Iranian Navy Warship thwarted a recent pirate attack on a tanker at Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.
The Sabalan, Iranian warship and the combat support ship Tonb were on an anti-piracy mission in the region since 1st December. The Master of the Iranian tanker made a mayday call as it was approached by six boats.
The Sabalan responded immediately. The navy crew opened fire on the pirates boat who fled the scene. The incident was announced by the Iran’s Defense Authorities on Wednesday.
Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said that Iran has conducted patrols in that area since 2008, when it first dispatched naval vessels to address mounting problems with pirates. Its forces have deterred pirate attacks on the vessels of 20 nations including a dramatic episode in June with two separate attacks within hours involving nearly a dozen pirate boats.
There is a considerable rate of reduction in the pirates attacks in these regions and the few attacks have been thwarted by the presence of international military. Also, the carriage of the armed guards has reduced the pirates’ success rate.
Source: Irna
