Iran saves ship from Somali pirates

An Iranian naval vessel patrolling the volatile waters of the Gulf of Aden has managed to save a container ship from the clutches of Somali pirates.

The ‘Atlantic’ containership was ambushed by more than 20 pirate boats while it was carrying a heavy load of minerals from Singapore to the Suez Canal.

AS the pirates were attempting to board the containership, they were immediately confronted by an Iranian naval vessel, which was patrolling the area nearby.

The pirates, after engaging in a pitched battle with the Iranian naval vessel, fled to the shores of Oman, read a statement released by the Iranian navy on Sunday,

In recent years, Somali pirates have expanded the reach of their attacks, preying on merchant vessels and oil tankers in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.

The Gulf of Aden, which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, is an important energy corridor, particularly because of Persian Gulf oil, which is shipped to the West through the Suez Canal.

Somalia has been without a functioning government for nearly 20 years.