MOSCOW, April 29 (RIA Novosti) - Russia"s...

A new task force from Russia"s Pacific Fleet led by the destroyer joined anti-piracy operations on Monday off the Horn of Africa.

"A search of the detained vessel resulted in the discovery of seven Kalashnikov assault rifles, several handguns, portable navigation equipment, fuel canisters, and a large number of spent cartridges," the ministry said in a statement.

"This leads us to believe that these pirates could have been involved in two unsuccessful attacks on a Liberian-flagged tanker with a Russian crew on board, which passed through this area on Tuesday with a shipment of oil en route to Singapore. The total number of people detained is 29," the statement said.

The Russian maritime journal Sovfrakht reported on Tuesday that the NS Commander tanker, partly owned by Russia"s Novoship company, had been attacked by Somali pirates on Monday about 120 miles east of the Yemeni island of Sokotra.

The 23-men crew successfully repelled the attempted hijack

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