Global General

Special

Newsmaker

Asia Pacific

America

Middle East

Europe

Africa

Indonesia sends warship to help secure Somali waters

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-03-20 17:12

JAKARTA -- Indonesia on Friday sent a warship to support  maintaining security in the waters of Somali following the rampant piracy there, Indonesian Military Commander General Djoko Santoso said here.

Related readings:  Somali mission fleet to be replaced in March or April  Somali pirates release Japanese ship with 23 crew  Somali pirates release Chinese vessel  US Navy watches as Somali pirates nab $3.2 million

"The participation has been coordinated with the United Nation, " Santoso said during the deployment of the ship here in Jakarta.

The Indonesian warship would join 14 foreign warships, which have been securing the Somali waters now, the Antara news agency reported.

These warships are from Japan, the United States, India, Russia, European Union and others.

Somalia's offshore waters are highly prone to piracy. The international maritime bureau reported that at least 24 attacks had taken place in the region between April and June this year.

Somalian armed groups had held hostage 10 ships recently and asked for a ransom to be paid at Eyl, a former fishery port in the country.