Iranian commandos ‘fire on pirates attempting to hijack tanker’

News agency report claims Somali pirates approached Voyager 1 in speedboats off coast of Pakistan

Iran’s semi-official news agency says Iranian navy commandos opened fire on suspected Somali pirates attempting to hijack a supertanker.

The Fars news agency says the Iranian Voyager 1 tanker came under attack off Pakistan’s south-western coast on Sunday .

The report says commandos repelled pirates who were approaching the vessel with two speedboats in an apparent attempt to hijack it.

The agency does not say if the tanker was carrying oil at the time.

A statement on the armed forces website says the pirates fled after the commandos opened fire.

Iran joined international anti-piracy efforts in 2008.