An Ethiopian ship fought off pirates successfuly
Tigrai Online
Feb. 05 2010
An Ethiopian-flagged vessel fought off a pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden earlier this week, the multi-national anti-piracy task force said Thursday.
The MV Andinet, part of the Ethiopian Shipping Line, was approached by two pirate skiffs Monday, with one of them coming close enough to fire automatic weapons in an attempt to force the ship to stop, the task force said in a statement.
But the vessel's crew used anti-piracy measures -- including firing flares in the air and utilizing fire hoses, as well as "evasive maneuvering" -- to repel the pirates, Combined Maritime Forces said.
After a distress call was sent out, the USS Farragut, a U.S. Navy destroyer assigned to the task force, deployed her SH-80 helicopter to follow the skiffs, and the USS Porter gave chase as well, the task force said.