Baku, Azerbaijan, March 8
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iran's navy repelled a pirate attack against a Filipino merchant ship in the Gulf of Oman.
The merchant vessel "Panama-Gade" asked Iranian Navy to help after was attacked by a group of pirates on speedboats.
The pirates forced to escape after Iranian naval forces took swift action to thwart the assault, Iran's Fars news agency reported March 8.
Then a special team from the Islamic Republic Navy escorted the Filipino vessel to the Pakistan waters, according the report.
In recent years, Iran's Navy has been increasing its presence in international waters to protect naval routes and provide security for merchant vessels and tankers.
In line with international efforts to combat piracy, the Iranian Navy has also been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008 to safeguard the vessels involved in maritime trade, especially the ships and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran.
The Iranian Navy has managed to foil several attacks on both Iranian and foreign tankers during its mission in international waters.
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