The decision came after pirates hijacked a Japanese vessel, M V Stolt Valor, in the same area and took the ship with 18 Indian sailors on board to a Somalian port on September 15 this year.

For the last two months, the Indian sailors from Stolt Valor have been held hostage by the Somalian pirates, who have been demanding a ransom.

The Japanese shipping company has been holding negotiations with the pirates to secure the sailors' release, even as there were demands from their family members that Indian government should intervene and get them to safety.

In fact, India has identified that a large number of sea pirates were operating from the seaports of Eyl and Hobyo in Somalia and is closely monitoring movements of pirates in the area, Navy sources said.

A sizable portion of India's trade flows through the Gulf of Aden and there has been a quantum increase in the number of piracy attacks in the region over the last few months.

Navy sources said these patrols by a warship are being carried out in coordination with the Shipping Ministry and are intended to protect Indian merchant vessels from being attacked by pirates and to instil confidence in the large sea-faring community from India.