British & US special forces storm hijacked ship, Montecristo, off Somalia
British and US special forces have stormed an Italian ship hijacked by Somali pirates, according to an Italian defence ministry spokesman.
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| MV Montecristo (Photo: Reuters/Daily Mail) |
The special forces were operating under the NATO counter piracy mission, Op Ocean Shield. The 56,000-ton bulk carrier Montecristo was hijacked 620 miles off Somalia on Monday, October 10, by five pirates in a small boat, according to the owners. It was stated on other reports that an unarmed security team were aboard the vessel and had stayed in position as the crew retreated to the citadel, reports BBC News.
All of the 23-man crew from Italy, India and the Ukraine have been freed. A report states that 11 Somali pirates were detained.
The Italian defence minister said the crew aboard the D'Alessio Group-owned cargo ship were doing well. He did not disclose whether the pirates were on board.
Italy's ANSA newagency said the rescue operation, which was in progress, was agreed between British Defence Minister Liam Fox and his Italian counterpart Ignazio La Russa.
Russa went on to say: "The criminals managed to cut off all means of communication, but the 'prisoners' tossed a bottle with a message through a porthole explaining the situation." Later reports state that a stroboscopic light was also contained in the bottle, which was spotted by the US warship.
This gave an important signal the crew were out of harm's way and that an operation could be launched without risking injury, he told AP news agency, adding that helicopters were used in the rescue.
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| RN Boarding Team Photo By AP/Ministry of Defence, Cpl. Joe Blogs |
The suspected pirates would be handed over to Italian authorities, Mr La Russa added.
A UK Ministry of Defence spokesman said the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Fort Victoria and a US frigate, USS De Wert, were sent to help the seized vessel, reports BBC News.
"We can confirm that late this morning the RFA Fort Victoria, currently on Nato counter-piracy operations east of Suez, responded to calls to assist a pirated Italian merchant ship, the MV Montecristo, along with an American navy frigate," he said.
Defence Secretary Liam Fox paid tribute to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel involved, and said the operation demonstrated the "global presence" of UK armed forces.
"Piracy puts lives at risk and costs the maritime industry millions of pounds every year. The Royal Navy is at the forefront of international efforts to battle this menace," he added.
The rescue came at the end of a 36-hour operation, including a dash across 550 miles of ocean.
The rescue mission comes as the Italy is to station military forces on its merchant vessels to guard against attacks by Somali pirates, shipping sources said on Tuesday, the day after another of its ships was attacked off the anarchic east African country - Reuters.
Many ships already carry private security contractors to try to prevent hijacks, but deployment of military forces on merchant vessels would mark a clear escalation in measures to combat piracy, which costs the world economy billions of dollars each year.
The sources said Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa would sign an agreement later on Tuesday with the confederation of Italian ship owners to put military guards on board vessels in the huge area of the Indian Ocean at risk from Somali pirates, who have hijacked several Italian ships.
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