NATO warship protects merchant ship from pirates attack
Italian destroyer Luigi Durand de la Penne scrambled its helicopter
09:53 GMT, November 16, 2008 According to a NATO spokesman the Alliance anti-piracy operation, Operation Allied Provider, had another success in assuring security in the Gulf of Aden yesterday. As a part of the Alliance Standing Naval Maritime Group, the Italian destroyer Luigi Durand de la Penne prevented a presumed pirate attack responding to an emergency call from a Panama-flagged merchant vessel, the Kirti.
In a statement the Alliance said the merchant ship was sailing toward Suez on Saturday afternoon when it reported two skiffs attempting to approach it at high speed.
The Italian destroyer was patrolling nearby as part of NATO's anti-piracy operation and immediately scrambled its helicopter.
The spokesman for the alliance said that the skiffs instantly changed course and left after seeing the helicopter arriving.
Piracy off Somalia’s coast has become an increasing concern, with at least 85 attacks on ships this year. Twelve vessels are still in the hands of pirates along with more than 200 crew.
The Italian destroyer Luigi Durand de la Penne is one of three NATO ships involved in Operation Allied which began on 24 October following a request by the United Nations to assist in this regional threat. With her also HMS Cumberland (Royal Navy) and HS Themistokles of the Greek Navy currently are deployed off the Somalia coast.
Luca Bonsignore
