Turkish commandos capture 7 Somali pirates
Turkish navy soldiers on a NATO mission to combat piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden have reportedly captured seven pirates who were ready to attack a ship. According to a report published by the daily Hurriyet, the frigate TCG Gediz intercepted and seized a boat off Somalia's coast on Friday in an operation that also involved a helicopter and navy commandos.
The operation was the second of its kind in a week. The Turkish navy commandos aboard the Turkish frigate TCG Gediz backed by a helicopter had earlier this week, raided a Somali pirates' boat and captured five pirates in the Gulf of Aden as they were about to launch an attack on a ship.
The Turkish frigate TCG Gediz set sail from Turkey to Somalia in June as part of a UN-led force to prevent pirates from hijacking foreign ships off the coast of Somalia.
The TCG Gediz is the second Turkish ship sent to the region and is on a one-year mission and part of the Combined Task Force (CTF) 151. The international naval force aims to prevent piracy in and around the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean as well as the Red Sea.
The Gulf of Aden, which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, is the quickest route for more than 20,000 vessels going from Asia to Europe and the Americas every year.
Attacks by heavily-armed Somali pirates have prompted some of the world's biggest shipping firms to switch routes from the Suez Canal and send cargo vessels around southern Africa, causing a hike in shipping costs.
The pirate-infested Somali waters remain dangerous despite the presence of foreign navies on patrol.
The operation was the second of its kind in a week. The Turkish navy commandos aboard the Turkish frigate TCG Gediz backed by a helicopter had earlier this week, raided a Somali pirates' boat and captured five pirates in the Gulf of Aden as they were about to launch an attack on a ship.
The Turkish frigate TCG Gediz set sail from Turkey to Somalia in June as part of a UN-led force to prevent pirates from hijacking foreign ships off the coast of Somalia.
The TCG Gediz is the second Turkish ship sent to the region and is on a one-year mission and part of the Combined Task Force (CTF) 151. The international naval force aims to prevent piracy in and around the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean as well as the Red Sea.
The Gulf of Aden, which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, is the quickest route for more than 20,000 vessels going from Asia to Europe and the Americas every year.
Attacks by heavily-armed Somali pirates have prompted some of the world's biggest shipping firms to switch routes from the Suez Canal and send cargo vessels around southern Africa, causing a hike in shipping costs.
The pirate-infested Somali waters remain dangerous despite the presence of foreign navies on patrol.