Friday, May 21, 2010
The Somalis were spotted some 240 kilometres off the Tanzanian coast last Friday in a large vessel towing two smaller boats by the EU naval force aircraft and a chopper from the British warship Chatham.
The frigate then dispatched a team toward the vessel.
"After monitoring the vessel through the night, at dawn, in a well-planned operation, the pirates were forced to surrender by the overwhelming force posed by HMS Chatham, her Lynx helicopter and fast boats containing the ship's royal marines detachment," a statement said.
"The royal marines team boarded the larger craft and found 10 Somalis and a large amount of fuel on board," it said, adding that the suspected pirates had been seen throwing items into the sea, including their weapons and equipment.
The two small boats fitted with powerful outboard engines were detached from the larger vessel and destroyed.
"Disarmed and without the means to commit an act of piracy, the 10 Somalis were left with only enough fuel in the larger vessel to return to Somalia," the statement explained.
The Chatham is part of the EU anti-piracy force patrolling the waters off Somalia, where ransom-hunting sea bandits have been hijacking a growing number of vessels and holding them, along with the crews, for ransom.
Source: AFP