The Canadian Navy said on April 5, 2009 the Wiinnipeg (left) had thwarted a pirate attack on a merchant vessel. --PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
OTTAWA - A CANADIAN warship on Sunday thwarted a pirate attack on a merchant vessel in the Arabian Sea, the military said in a statement.
HMCS Winnipeg was deployed in the Nato led counter-piracy mission Operation Allied Protector, escorting ships in the region, when it spotted 'several small skiffs' nearing the Motor Vessel Pacific Opal.
The Pacific Opal radioed for help.
A navy helicopter was immediately dispatched and put itself between the Pacific Opal and the pirate skiffs, forcing them to withdraw, said the warship's commander. -- AFP
