India on Saturday rushed its front line warship to the Gulf of Aden to protect Indian merchant vessels sailing in the high seas off the east African coast from armed pirates.
"The Navy has already re-deployed a warship to the Gulf of Aden. The ship, which was in the region, was asked to rush to the Gulf of Aden following the government orders," a naval officer said in New Delhi.
"The ship has enough endurance to remain there and provide security to Indian flagships carrying cargo till another warship is sent there to replace it," the officer said.
Navy sources said the re-deployed warship was a stealth frigate and it had the wherewithal to protect Indian merchant ships sailing through the Gulf of Aden.
It is most likely to remain in the region near the Horn of Africa for a month.
The government has said the Indian naval presence in the Gulf of Aden for anti-piracy operation would not be restricted to just one ship and more could be deployed, whenever needed.
The government had on Friday approved a Navy's proposal to send its warships to the east African coast for protecting Indian flag-bearing merchant ships.
Earlier in the day, Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju said the government was taking serious measures to safeguard Indian interests in the Indian Ocean Region
"Piracy in Somalian waters has become a major issue with over 60 incidents taking place in a short span of time. That is being looked at very seriously. We will definitely take measures to ensure that our interests are safeguarded," Raju said on the sidelines of an event of Institution of Bridge Engineers in New Delhi.
India's move to deploy a warship with a chopper and marine commandos on board comes in the wake of increased attacks by pirates on ships in the high seas along the east African coast.
On September 15 this year, a Japanese-owned merchant vessel, M V Stolt Valor, was abducted by Somalian pirates, who took the 22 crew members, including 18 Indians, on board as hostages.
The pirates have been demanding a ransom to release the hostages and the family of the ship's crew members have been seeking government intervention to get them released from the pirates.
Between April and June, the Gulf of Aden region had witnessed 24 attacks by pirates on merchant vessels and the number has since only grown.
And the present Indian decision was in line with its Navy's advice for giving it permission to interdict pirates if they attack or abduct an Indian flagship in the African waters.
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