NEW DELHI: An Indian warship, stealth frigate INS Trishul, thwarted a piracy attempt on a merchant vessel Jag Amar in a swift operation by deploying an armed helicopter and marine commandos in the Gulf of Aden on Friday.The 4,000-tonne multi-role INS Trishul, with its Chetak helicopter and marine commandos, swung into action after receiving the distress call from Indian-flagged bulk cargo carrier Jag Amar, which had 26 Indians on board, at about 12.30pm. “Even as the first batch of the commandos reached the cargo vessel on the Chetak, the second team boarded her after setting sail from INS Trishul on their inflatable boat. The 12 pirates gave up without a fight,” said an officer.“One AK-47 assault rifle, with 27 rounds in a magazine, and other piracy triggers like grapnels, ladders, ropes, fuel drums and other equipment were seized from them. After disarming the pirates the pirates were let off in their skiff on the high seas.MV Jag Amar subsequently resumed its journey to Jubail, Saudi Arabia, in the evening after being sanitised by the commandos,” he added. Piracy continues to be rampant off Africa’s east coast, with pirates venturing deep into the Arabian Sea to hunt for merchant vessels and oil tankers, despite international efforts to curb the menace.