Turkey says a team of its navy commandos have captured thirteen suspected pirates aboard two skiff boats in the world's third largest ocean, the Indian Ocean, PRESS TV reported.
According to a report published by Today's Zaman newspaper, Turkish frigate TCG Gelibolu, which serves under an international mission to fight-off piracy in the Indian Ocean, came across a suspicious boat in the area on Sunday.
The report added that commandos aboard the Turkish frigate stopped the suspicious vessel and intercepted 13 pirates along with several assault rifles.
The Turkish military said the "pirates" were photographed throwing weapons and ammunition overboard.
Since early 2009, foreign navies have been patrolling and providing escorts for commercial vessels in the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. However, the security forces are stretched and unable to respond to every distress call.
Certain commercial ships even hire armed private security to fight off piracy as some officials in the shipping industry express fear that having guns aboard vessels could endanger the lives of crew members.