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Indian navy blows Somali pirate ship out of the water
Ed Harris20.11.08
A PIRATE "mothership" has been blown up and sunk by an Indian warship as the piracy crisis off the coast of east Africa escalates.
The latest clash in the increasingly anarchic Arabian Sea came as the Saudi owners of the Sirius Star began negotiations to get their hijacked $250 million supertanker back.
The Star is moored off the Somali port of Eyl, a pirate outpost, where gunmen are demanding a ransom of up to $10 million. The ship is the biggest tanker ever captured with two Britons among the kidnapped crew. Saudi foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal did not confirm whether a ransom was likely to be agreed, but said talks had begun.
The Indian navy said its frigate INS Tabar destroyed the pirate vessel, which was used to launch attacks with two smaller speedboats, on Tuesday in the Gulf of Aden.
Officers told how they spotted men with rocket propelled grenades on the vessel's deck and opened fire after the pirates threatened to blow up the Indian frigate.
"Fire broke out on the vessel and explosions were heard, possibly due to exploding ammunition that was stored on the vessel," the navy said, adding that two speedboats sped away.
Maritime experts said the Somali gunmen were displaying their power to the world. "The pirates are sending out a message to the world that 'we can do what we want, we can think the unthinkable, do the unexpected'," said Andrew Mwangura, of the East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme. Somali gunmen seized two more vessels yesterday and continued to evade the international navy patrols.
After Saturday's spectacular capture of the Sirius Star, pirates took a Thai fishing boat and a Greek bulk carrier yesterday following the hijacking of a Hong Kong-flagged ship carrying grain to for Iran on Tuesday.
The explosion of piracy off Somalia this year has driven up insurance costs, forced some shipping companies to divert around South Africa and prompted an unprecedented military response from Nato and the European Union. George Bush has been briefed on the escalating crisis, and the US was today consulting other UN Security Council members.
Somali prime minister Nur Hassan Hussein said naval patrols would not stop piracy and appealed for help to fight criminal networks in his country.
Reader views (7)
I wonder when an RN ship will be hijacked.
- Steve, London UK
Send in Paddy Ashdown and his SBS pals... Let's end this piracy and come down on them with the wrath of Poseidon.
- Paul, Bromley
Indian Navy is better than the RN. But I am sorry to say that the Indians are doing the job for the RN.
- Prema, London,UK
Frank,
where are you ?
How come the Royal Navy and the Indian navy are not shooting at each other, after all according to you we are enemies, what's going on ?
Can we have your rather unique and warped/twisted view please.
You don't think the RN has outsourced do you, those bloody call centres.
Regards
Vijay
- Vijay Gupta, London
I suppose the Royal Navy is no longer capable of securing the high seas (it's so big, the ocean) and the UN can't be bothered, too many issues perhaps.
- Blackstone Coke, London
Good for the Indians!
- Doug, Barnet
This of course is what we expect of all navies, to protect our trade routes. This is always quoted by the Royal Navy as its primary raison d'etre, but recent events might lead us to suspect that the Navy is not getting unequivocal backing from Downing Street in this matter. Mr Brown will rue the day if this menace is not severely dealt with.
- Peter Haldane, London
