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Ship seized by pirates 'stormed' Nato troops free ship off Somalia
(about 3 hours later)
Danish special forces have stormed a ship captured by Somali pirates and freed 25 crew members, an EU naval spokesman said in Nairobi. Danish special forces serving as part of Nato's counter-piracy operation have freed the crew of a cargo ship boarded by pirates off Somalia.
Cdr John Harbour told the Associated Press news agency it was the first time a warship had intervened after pirates boarded a vessel. They moved in after being assured by the captain that the crew had locked themselves in a safe room, a Nato spokeswoman told the BBC.
Troops in inflatable dinghies moved in after a distress signal from the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged Ariella. It seems the pirates escaped to their boat before the troops arrived but the 180m (590ft) vessel was being searched.
It is not clear if the pirates left the ship before the troops arrived. A second pirate boat in the area was seized by a Russian warship, Nato says.
The special forces, who set out from a Danish warship in the area, scaled the side of the ship and freed the 25 crew members, who had locked themselves in a secure room, Cdr Harbour said. Admiral Sir Trevor Soar, commander of the Nato Maritime HQ in London, commended the actions of the Danish warship Absalon, which carried out the rescue.
Troops were continuing to search the vessel for the pirates, he added. "Absalon's action today demonstrates Nato's resolve to deter and disrupt piracy off the Horn of Africa," he said in a statement.
Perilous seas He also thanked the Russian and Indian navies for assisting in the operation.
When the distress signal was received, the Danish warship Absalon sent a helicopter to confirm the presence of pirates, and communicated with the crew to ensure they were in a safe location, the spokesman said. Distress signal
Cdr Harbour praised Nato forces for their fast reaction and coordination with other forces in the area. A distress signal was received from the master of the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged Ariella on Friday morning, reporting that six heavily armed pirates had boarded the ship, Nato spokeswoman Lt Cdr Jacqui Sherriff told the BBC.
There had, he said, "been many instances where there's been excellent cooperation and three, four or even five nations have helped deter a pirate attack". I don't know if he [one of the pirates] jumped overboard when he saw the helicopter or later when he saw the special forces Cmdr Dan B Termansen commander of the Absalon
But, he added, "this is the first where a warship has been able to send forces to stop a hijacking while it was in progress". The attackers' skiff and a second boat were seen in the area of the attack about 160km (100m) off the Somalia coast.
Warships typically do not intervene in hijackings because of the danger that crews may be hit by crossfire, the spokesman pointed out. Informed that the crew had managed to lock themselves away, the Absalon first sent out a helicopter to investigate, then a team of specially trained forces in inflatable dinghies to board the ship and regain control.
But forces were able to intervene in this case because the ship had registered with naval authorities, was travelling along a recommended transit corridor and was part of a group transit, ensuring the ships had a helicopter within 30 minutes' reaction time. The crew, said to be 25 strong, were released safely.
The location of the incident on Friday morning was not being reported immediately. Cmdr Dan B Termansen, commander of the Absalon, said that the crew had reported seeing a pirate firing an automatic weapon aboard their ship.
The waters around Somalia are among the most dangerous in the world, despite patrols from EU and other foreign naval forces. "I don't know if he jumped overboard when he saw the helicopter or later when he saw the special forces," he added.
"We searched the ship for hours and didn't find anybody."
However, Cmdr Mikael Bill, head of the Danish Admiralty in western Denmark, said he did not believe there had been any pirates aboard the ship when the special forces arrived.
"It is our clear understanding that there were no hijackers on board but our helicopter had deterred an action," he said.
A Russian warship, the Neustrashimy, successfully boarded and detained the pirates in the second skiff.
Precautions
Cdr John Harbour, a spokesman for the EU Naval Force in Nairobi, praised the Nato operation.
It was, he told the Associated Press news agency, the first instance where a warship had been able to "send forces to stop a hijacking while it was in progress".
Warships typically do not intervene in hijackings because of the danger that crews may be hit by crossfire, he pointed out.
However, in this case the ship had registered with naval authorities, was travelling along a recommended transit corridor and was part of a group transit, ensuring the ships had a helicopter within 30 minutes' reaction time.
The waters off Somalia are among the most dangerous in the world, despite patrols from EU and other foreign naval forces.
Somalia, riven by war, has had no functioning government since 1991, allowing pirates to operate along the lawless coast, almost with impunity.Somalia, riven by war, has had no functioning government since 1991, allowing pirates to operate along the lawless coast, almost with impunity.