The Navy has deployed a second warship in the Indian Ocean to combat piracy. While a larger warship has been deployed continuously in the general area of the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia, a smaller vessel will now do patrolling around Seychelles and Mauritius.
The decision was taken after pirates shifted their operations to the East of Somalia, also referred to as the Somalia Basin and to the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of Seychelles and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Some of these attacks have taken place nearly 1,900 km from the Somali coast, making these waters dangerous for seafarers, thereby seriously affecting the safety of international trade and commerce transiting through these waters.
The Navy will deploy INS Savitri, an offshore patrol vessel with a Chetak helicopter and marine commandos for the surveillance of EEZ of Seychelles and Mauritius from the end of this month till early next year. INS Savitri will be deployed in close coordination with the ships and aircraft of Seychelles Coast Guard and the Mauritian National Coast Guard to deter piracy in these areas.
Over the past few years, incidents of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia have increased considerably with over 174 piracy attempts, involving ships of various nationalities, have taken place in the last one year. To dissuade and prevent hijackings in the Gulf of Aden, the Navy was operating a warship in the Gulf of Aden since October 23 last.
