Indian Navy foils piracy attempt off Gulf of Aden

New Delhi, Dec 7 : The Indian Navy Monday thwarted a piracy attempt on a Norwegian-flagged tanker off the Gulf of Aden, an official said here.

The Indian Navy ship, on anti-piracy patrol in one of the busiest sea lanes in the Gulf of Aden, got a distress signal at around 3 o'clock.

"As pirates started approaching the Norwegian tanker it sent out a distress message. And we immediately launched a helicopter to thwart the attempt," said an Indian Navy spokesperson.

"The helicopter prevented the piracy attempt, and in the meantime the Indian Navy warship arrived in the area," said the official.

An Indian Navy warship has been patrolling the piracy-infested Gulf of Aden since last year and has thwarted several piracy attempts on Indian-flagged ships and vessels of other countries.