INS Airavat escorts merchant ship transporting 3,000 tonnes of food supplies in Somalia

Indian naval ship (INS) Airavat escorted MV Juist, a merchant vessel carrying 3,000 tonnes of food items under the United Nation's World Food Programme (WFP), from Berbera to Mogadishu in Somalia on Sunday

"Indian Navy has provided protection to merchant vessels that frequent the Somali Coast, to ensure safety of crew and goods against pirates that operate in the area," the Navy said in a statement

MV Juist departed from Berbera, the westernmost port of Somalia, with over 3,000 tonnes of food materials that "need to be shipped" to Mogadishu, it said. "Indian Naval Ship Airavat is escorting MV Juist, a merchant ship transporting food material under the aegis of the United Nation's World Food Programme (WFP)," it added.