An MSC cruise liner has come under attack from Somalian pirates in the Indian Ocean.

The Italian based ship was travelling between Durban, South Africa and Genoa in Italy when it came under fire at 11.35pm on Saturday evening. The pirates fired shots at the boat as they tried to climb aboard, approximately 600 nautical miles off the Somalia coast and 180 nautical miles from the Seychelles.

Passengers were ordered to stay in their cabins as private security staff fired pistols and aimed high powered water canons at the intruders.

It is thought that the pirates are using previously captured vessels to extend their range of attacks as US and EU warships patrol the troubled waters off the Somalia coast, forcing the pirates further out into the Indian Ocean.

The pirates chased the Melody for around 20 minutes before finally giving up; the liner was then escorted safely past the Gulf of Aden by a Spanish warship.

The attack took place despite the MSC group altering the itinerary of the Melody in a bid to avoid trouble spots. Owner of the group, Gian Luigi Aponte was proud of the way his captain and crew dealt with the incident.

Around 951 passengers and 536 crew were onboard the ship at the time of the attack and there were no reported injuries.