Iranian Navy thwarts pirate attack

The Iranian Navy has thwarted the second attempted pirate attack in a month, according to Iranian officials, firing on pirates and causing them to flee an attack in the Bab el-Mandeb.

Iranian Navy thwarts pirate attack

The Iranian Navy has thwarted the second attempted pirate attack in a month, according to Iranian officials.

An Iranian vessel, Bootanon, carrying liquid natural gas, was crossing the Bab el-Mandeb straight on Sunday morning when it was attacked by eight pirate boats, according to Admiral Siavash Jareh, Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Navy for Operations.

He said that Iranian naval forces from the Navy’s 27th fleet responded to the attack, firing on the pirates and causing them to flee, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

This incident comes after Iranian naval forces thwarted the hijack of an oil tanker earlier in the month. Jareh said the Iranian tanker was attacked by a pirate boat on October 6, but the pirates fled after the Navy responded. However, they returned with more boats and were once again driven back. After the second incident the Iranian Navy escorted the tanker through the Gulf of Aden, Jareh said.

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Source: Defence Web.