<p>Patrol vessel INS Sukanya was escorting the five merchant vessels through the Internationally Recognised Transit Corridor in the Gulf of Aden Thursday morning when the warship's crew noticed the five-boat pirate formation approaching the cargo ship group.<br /><br />"The warship immediately altered towards the suspicious vessels and challenged them," the officer said, adding the pirate skiffs then reversed course and tried to flee the area.<br />"While two of the skiffs and its crew managed to get away, Sukanya successfully intercepted the remaining three skiffs and carried out well-practiced and professionally executed boarding-and-search action. <br /><br />"The three boats had a total of 26 Somali crew on board. During the operation, six AK-47 rifles, 12 magazines and about 300 rounds of ammunition were found and confiscated," the officer said.</p>
<p>Patrol vessel INS Sukanya was escorting the five merchant vessels through the Internationally Recognised Transit Corridor in the Gulf of Aden Thursday morning when the warship's crew noticed the five-boat pirate formation approaching the cargo ship group.<br /><br />"The warship immediately altered towards the suspicious vessels and challenged them," the officer said, adding the pirate skiffs then reversed course and tried to flee the area.<br />"While two of the skiffs and its crew managed to get away, Sukanya successfully intercepted the remaining three skiffs and carried out well-practiced and professionally executed boarding-and-search action. <br /><br />"The three boats had a total of 26 Somali crew on board. During the operation, six AK-47 rifles, 12 magazines and about 300 rounds of ammunition were found and confiscated," the officer said.</p>