Reuters - Foreign navies have foiled a string of pirate attacks off Somalia this year, raising hopes that the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean shipping lanes can be made safer.

Around 20 warships from 14 different countries are patrolling the area, their exact numbers and location unknown for security reasons.

The US Navy on January 8 announced a new task force specifically dedicated to combating piracy in the region. The San Antonio, an amphibious transport dock, serves as the command-and-control ship with two aircraft and two other US Navy ships. More than 20 nations are part of the Combined Maritime Forces. US Navy Rear Admiral Terence "Terry" McKnight has been named the commander of the new task force which will be fully operational by the middle of January.

The EU deployed an air and naval force off Somalia from December, replacing NATO ships. Up to ten EU nations are participating, including Greece, France, Germany and Britain in the first phase from December to March. The German frigate FDS Karlsruhe fought off a pirate attack in the Gulf in late December.

CHINA

Three Chinese warships arrived in the area in January in the first such naval deployment by Beijing outside its waters.

INDIA

India deployed INS Tabar in October to escort Indian ships. According to the Indian navy, the Tabar came under fire from a suspected pirate mother ship on November 18, returned fire and sank the pirates.

MALAYISA

A Malaysian warship sent a helicopter to help scare away Somali pirates trying to attack an Indian vessel in the Gulf of Aden on January 1.

RUSSIA

Russia's navy sent a Baltic Fleet frigate, the Neustrashimy (Fearless), to the Gulf of Aden in September to combat pirates. Russian forces helped foil an attempted hijacking of a Dutch-registered cargo ship laast week.

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Below are some of the dozen or so ships believed to be still held:

FAINA: Seized on September 24. The ship was carrying 33 T-72 tanks, grenade launchers and ammunition destined for Kenya's Mombasa port. Pirates have demanded $20 million in ransom.

STOLT STRENGTH: Seized on November 10. The chemical tanker had 23 Filipino crew aboard. It was carrying 23,818 tonnes of oil products.

TIANYU 8: Seized on November 13/14. The Chinese fishing boat was reported seized off Kenya. The crew included 15 Chinese, one Taiwanese, one Japanese, three Filipinos and four Vietnamese.

CHEMSTAR VENUS: Seized Nov. 15. The tanker was travelling from Dumai, Indonesia, to Ukraine. It had 18 Filipino and five South Korean crew.

BISCAGLIA: Seized on November 28. The Biscaglia, a Liberian-flagged chemical tanker, had 30 crew on board: 25 Indians, three Britons and two Bangladeshis.

NAMES UKNOWN: Seized on December 10. Pirates hijacked two Yemeni fishing vessels with a total of 22 crew in coastal waters in the Gulf of Aden. Five crew reportedly escaped.

NAMES UNKNOWN: Seized on December 16. A yacht with two on board, an Indonesian tugboat used by French oil company Total and a 100-metre (330-ft) cargo ship belonging to an Istanbul-based shipping company were hijacked.

BLUE STAR: Seized on January 1, 2009. The Egyptian merchant ship was sailing east with a cargo of 6,000 tonnes of urea, a product used as a fertiliser. It had 28 Egyptian crew aboard.

NAME UNKNOWN: A product tanker was seized on January 3 in the Gulf of Aden. Fifteen crew members were taken hostage.

A total of 14 incidents have been recorded this month with eight vessels fired upon, four attempted boardings and the two hijackings.