File photo shows an Iranian military boat firing a rocket during a naval exercise.[/caption]Tehran, Feb 3, IRNA The 33rd Fleet of the Navy has saved two Iranian oil tankers from pirates seize, it was reported on Tuesday.
The encounter with the pirates occurred during the first day of the Iranian fleets presence in international waters and the Gulf of Aden, said a statement issued by the Navy.
The 33rd Fleet of the Iranian Navy has recently began an intelligence, operational and training mission from Bandar Abbas in Hormuzgan Province, southern Iran.
The encounter occurred in the Gulf of Aden when the flotilla was heading to the East Asian waters before entering the Atlantic Ocean.
The pirates approached one of the two Iranian tankers with five boats and were to attack the vessels when the escorting Iranian fleet vigilantly forced them to withdraw and consequently escape from the scene.
Three days earlier, the pirates had made another attack on an Iranian tanker near the port of Al-Mukalla in Yemen.
Al-Mukalla is a main sea port and the capital city of the Hadhramaut coastal region in Yemen in the southern part of Arabia on the Gulf of Aden close to the Arabian Sea.
Irans Navy has increased its presence in international waters in recent years to protect naval routes and provide security for merchant vessels and tankers.
It has managed to foil several attacks on both Iranian and foreign tankers during its missions in international waters.
By IRNA
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