Nato warships ready to tackle piracy off Somalia
Nato warships are in place off the Somali coast to tackle rampant piracy in the waters, and are ready to escort UN aid vessels under threat, a spokesman for the alliance's naval command said Friday.
"The boats are in the area. They have started their deterrent role," a spokesman at Nato's naval command in Naples, Italy said by telephone, adding that the three vessels "would escort UN ships on request".
The ships -- an Italian destroyer and British and Greek frigates which form Nato's operation Allied Provider -- "may use force" under their rules of engagement and in line with international law, a statement said.
They will help escort UN World Food Programme (WFP) food shipments, whose cargo is a tempting target for pirates, until the European Union can launch its own operation, probably in December.
The WFP ships 30,000-35,000 tonnes of aid into Somalia each month.
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