Indian Navy seeks entry into Somali waters

New Delhi, Aug 29: Indian Navy has sent a proposal to the Government of India of having regular patrols in the Somalia coast inn the wake of recent hijacks of ships there and the threat to shipping line. This will be on the line of US naval patrols, which is now stationed there.

The letter was written to the govt after pirates took over a cargo ship, 'Iran Deynat' in Somalia on August 21. There were total 24 people in the ship including three Indians. The ship 'Iran Deynat' was sailing towards Somalia carrying cargo from Poland. The proposal deal with the implications of having regular patrols in the area, and this could lead to quicker response by the Indian Navy in case of similar responses in the future. This could lead to unilateral action or even joint action against pirates.

The transitional federal government of Somalia has authorized the United Nations Security Council to permit other countries to enter Somalia waters to fight pirates. Somali coastal waters are among the most hazardous in the world, despite the presence of US navy patrols there.

The US and NATO warships have been patrolling off the Horn of Africa for years in an effort to crack down on piracy off Somalia, where a UN-backed transitional government is struggling to restore order after 15 years of near-anarchy.

Pirates demand rupees 200 crore to release the sailors they took hostage last week off the coast of Somalia. A total of 24 people including three Indians were kidnapped, as pirates took over their cargo ship on Aug 21.

OneIndia News