OPV, copter, commandos in Seychelles and Mauritius area by Navy soon
New Delhi | Monday, Nov 23 2009 IST
 

Stepping up its drive against piracy at sea, India will soon deploy an Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) with an on-board helicopter and commandos, for surveillance over the Exclusive Economic Zone of Seychelles and Mauritius by January next year.

The deployment of OPV 'INS Savitri', with a Chetak helicopter and Marine Commandos, by the Indian Navy will be done in coordination with the Seychelles Coast Guard and the Mauritian National Coast Guard, according to the Defence Ministry here which added that the move would help deter piracy in these areas. The move follows as pirates shifted their attention to the area East of Somalia, also called the Somalia Basin, and to the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of Seychelles and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) following Indian Navy's pro-active patrolling in the area that led to pirates abandoning their numerous attempts to rob ships in international waters.

With more than 174 piracy attempts made in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia in the last one year alone, the Indian Navy has kept its one warship continuously deployed in the area since October 2008.

-- (UNI) -- 23DI35.xml

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