Saudi vessel helps thwart attack on Turkish ship

ATTACK THWART: Pirates from anarchic Somalia target merchant ships sailing through the busy Gulf of Aden. (Getty Images - for illustrative purposes only)

Saudi navy frigate helped thwart an attempt by pirates to hijack a Turkish cargo ship near the Gulf of Aden on Monday, state news agency SPA reported.

The frigate Al Riyadh responded to a call for help from the merchant ship Yasa Seyhan which was coming under attack by three small boats in international waters near the Gulf of Aden, SPA said.

The pirates fled after the arrival of the frigate, which is part of an international fleet fighting piracy in the area, the agency added.

Pirates from anarchic Somalia target merchant ships sailing through the busy Gulf of Aden, which connects Europe and Asia via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. They earned tens of millions of dollars in ransoms last year.

The international presence has helped reduce to nil the number of successful attacks off Somalia so far in February against three in January, a far lower rate than late last year. (Reuters)

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