A NATO warship on Tuesday successfully warded off an attack by a group of pirates, who were attempting to take control of a commercial vessel off the Somalia coast, said the alliance on Thursday.

The warship involved was British frigate, HMS Cumberland.

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer praised the action. "I commend the crew of the Cumberland for the action they have taken while defending a Danish ship against pirates. They carried out their mission with courage and professionalism," he said.

HMS Cumberland is one of the three NATO ships deployed in the region to protect World Food Program food shipments to Somalia and deter piracy. Since the operation began on Oct. 24, the British frigate has been conducting anti-piracy deterrence patrols in the Indian Ocean, said the alliance.

(Xinhua News Agency November 14, 2008)