KL, Jakarta launch antipiracy drive

KL, Jakarta launch antipiracy drive

MALAYSIA: Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday began a 10-day naval operation to combat piracy in the busy Straits of Malacca with neighboring Indonesia.

Malaysia's First Admiral Abdul Aziz Jaafar, deputy navy fleet commander, said the operation involved 16 officers and 120 personnel along with four frigates -- two each from the navies of the two nations.

The Straits of Malacca is located between Indonesia's Sumatra island and Malaysia.

There had been a total of 253 actual and attempted attacks on ships worldwide in the first nine months of this year.

Indonesian waters were by far the worst, accounting for 71 of the cases. Malaysia recorded 15 actual or attempted attacks, Bangladesh 19 and India 22. --AFP