KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14: A British ship came under fire in a pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden, but managed to escape after a Russian warship came to the rescue, a maritime watchdog said on Wednesday.

The British-owned and Dutch-managed container vessel was chased for half an hour by the pirates, but managed to fend them off by increasing speed and making evasive manoeuvres.

“The container ship was attacked by at least one pirate boat with six pirates on board who fired two rocket-propelled grenades,” said Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) piracy reporting centre. The British ship radioed for help, and two warships from Russia and India responded. The Russian vessel reached the area first, and sent a helicopter to scare away the attackers, he said.

“When the Russian helicopter and warship arrived the pirates then stopped the chase,” he said. The IMB was not able to release the name of the British vessel.

Choong said that attacks are continuing apace, with 11 so far this year despite an anti-pirate offensive by international community.

However, the tighter measures including increased naval patrols, together with a more effective response by targeted vessels, is making it more difficult for sea raiders to pull off successful hijackings.

Of the 11 attacks this year, only two resulted in hijackings, a much lower “success rate” than last year, Choong said.

“Most ships are heeding our advice, keeping a 24-hour visual and radar watch, and the moment they spot the pirates, increasing speed, launching evasive measures and calling for help immediately,” he said. “A lot of the ships that escaped took all these measures.” Pirates operating in the Gulf of Aden and along the Somali coast are currently holding 11 ships with 210 crew members as hostages, the Kuala Lumpur-based Piracy Reporting Centre said.—AFP