Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia's navy has deployed three ships to
the Gulf of Aden in Yemen to protect the country's merchant ships
following an increase in the frequency of pirate attacks in the area,
officials said Friday.
Several 'military and logistics aid' belonging to the Royal
Malaysian Air Force has also been deployed to monitor Malaysian ships
in the Gulf of Aden, said air force operations commander Rodzali Daud.
'Yes, we do deploy our assets there, including to assist in the
operations by the Royal Malaysian Navy,' Rodzali was quoted as saying
by the official Bernama news agency.
'Perhaps, more (military elements) will follow,' he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak was quoted as saying in reports
Friday that three navy vessels, carrying an unspecified number of
soldiers and several helicopters, will provide security for five
ships owned by Malaysian shipping line MISC Berhad which are
currently travelling along the pirate-infested waters off Somalia.
The move came after two MISC tankers were hijacked by armed
pirates in the gulf last month, prompting an immediate ban by the
company on travelling in the region until additional security
measures were in place.
Two of the navy ships are expected to reach the Gulf of Aden in
the next few days, while another will leave Malaysia soon, Najib was
quoted as saying by the Star daily.
The Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean,
is one of the world's busiest waterways with some 20,000 ships
passing through each year.
Pirates seized the Malaysian palm oil tanker, MT Bunga Melati 2,
in the Gulf of Aden between Somalia and Yemen on August 19, resulting
in the death of a Filipino sailor. Another MISC tanker, MT Bunga
Melati 5, was hijacked 10 days later in the same waterway.
Pirates have reportedly demanded a 3 million dollar ransom for the
two ships and 79 crew, including 14 Filipinos, local newspapers said.
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