Indian navy destroys pirate ship

NEW DELHI, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- An Indian naval warship destroyed a pirate "mother vessel" in the Gulf of Aden off the Horn of Africa after a fierce battle, a spokesman said Wednesday.

The Tuesday battle between the Indian frigate Tabar and the pirate vessels occurred about 326 miles southwest of Oman's Salalah port, CNN reported, quoting the Indian Defense Ministry.

"This vessel was similar in description to the 'Mother Vessel' mentioned in various piracy bulletins," the ministry said in a statement.

The incident comes after a number of attacks in the region, the most bold being the hijacking of Saudi-owned oil supertanker Sirius Star by pirates.

The Indian ministry said the Tabar asked the pirate ship to stop for inspection but the pirates threatened to destroy the warship and later fired on it, the report said.

Returning the fire, the Tabar set the pirate ship on fire and there were explosions on board the pirate ship, the report said. The ministry said the two speedboats fled, one of which was later found abandoned.

In the Saudi supertanker incident, the BBC quoted Vela International, operators of the Sirius Star, as saying there has been no demand so far from the pirates. It said the 25-member crew was safe.

The tanker, which lay anchored off the Somali coast, was carrying 2 million barrels of oil worth more than $100 million when it was hijacked.