INDIAN, CHINESE, PAKISTANI NAVIES JOIN HANDS FOR ANTIPIRACY OP

Warships from India, China and Pakistan operated jointly in the Gulf of Aden to rescue a merchant vessel attacked by Somali pirates on Saturday night.

The Tuvalu-flagged bulk carrier (OS 35) was travelling from Kelang in Malaysia to the Yemeni port city of Aden when it was hijacked by the pirates, the latest in a string of attacks after several years of silence.

Immediately after receiving an SOS from the vessel, the Indian Navy diverted two of its warships -- INS Mumbai and INS Tarkash -- in the direction of the merchant ship.

The two warships were part of an Indian fleet of four vessels heading for an overseas deployment.

The Indian warships contacted the captain of the merchant vessel who along with the crew had locked themselves in a strong room on board, the navy said in a press statement.

Chinese, Pakistani and Italian warships that were in the vicinity also reached the spot of the hijacking.

The Chinese navy sent a team of 18 men to sanitise the 178-metre merchant vessel, with the Indian Navy providing the communication link and air cover with its helicopters.

The Chinese navy’s Yulin guided missile frigate also took part in the operation.

On receiving the all-clear signal, some crew gradually emerged from the strong room and searched the ship and confirmed the pirates had fled at night, the statement said.