After cracking down on pirates in the Gulf of Aden, the Navy will carry out anti-piracy patrols near the island nation of Seychelles following a request from the country. An Indian warship and survey vessel, the INS Nirdeshak, is currently in the area and will patrol the area after several incidents of Somali pirates operating near the nation were reported earlier this month.
The Seychelles Armed Forces today said it had requested the Indian Navy to patrol the exclusive economic zone of the country. The Navy confirmed that INS Nirdeshak has already been sent to the region.
While details of the area to be patrolled and the deployment of additional warships in the region will be discussed at a later stage, the Nirdeshak, which is a survey vessel of the Navy but is "adequately equipped" to undertake anti-piracy missions, will begin operations immediately.
| The pirates have been going after ships near the Seychelles, so the Indians step in to help. This is a very smart move on the part of the Indians, and one that is completely consistent with their vision of being the preeminent regional power in the Indian Ocean. |
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