The Japanese government decided on Friday to extend the Maritime Self-Defense Force's (MSDF) anti-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia by another year.

Currently and through July 23, Japan has deployed two destroyers and patrol aircraft to the Gulf of Aden off Somalia's eastern coast to protect commercial vessels. Around 600 MSDF personnel are also involved in the mission.

The deployment began in 2009 and marks the 7th such mission.

The instances of piracy in the region, however, have been virtually zero recently, but Japan believes that if the presence of international forces in the region is lowered significantly, then piracy could spike again to levels seen in the past where around 200 cases occurred annually.

Japan's Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told a press briefing on Friday that the MSDF's deployment is still necessary to safeguard vessels in the region and that his ministry will continue to work with other stakeholders to ensure the ongoing safety in the sea lane and the region. Endit

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