Saudi vessel helps thwart hijack of Turkish ship

The pirates fled the area following the arrival of the frigate, Al-Riyadh, which then escorted the Turkish merchant ship Yasa Seyhan out of the danger zone, the agency said on its website.

Piracy is rife and well organized in the area where Somalia’s northeastern tip juts into the Indian Ocean, preying on a key maritime route leading to the Suez Canal. More than 130 ships were attacked in the area in 2008 alone.

The heavily armed pirates operate high-powered speedboats and sometimes hold ships for weeks before releasing them for large ransoms paid by governments or shipowners.

Three Turkish vessels were hijacked in the Gulf of Aden in 2008, with the last of them being released on Feb. 2.

A Turkish frigate will join an international coalition against Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday.

Photo is an archive image.