NAIROBI, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The European Union anti-piracy taskforce has rescued 14 Indian sailors who were about to be hijacked by Somali pirates on Wednesday.
Operation Commander of the EU Naval Force Somalia (EUNAVFOR) Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant, said the Indians were rescued by the EU warships after the pirates who took control of their cargo vessel abandoned the attack in the Gulf of Aden.
"What is important is that 14 Indian sailors are now safe and able to return to their families, after what must have been a terrifying ordeal," Tarrant said in a statement issued in Nairobi. "This latest attack once again shows that the threat from piracy is real. We must all remain vigilant."
These "mother vessels" are usually hijacked dhows or ocean going fishing vessels. In the past Somali pirates have also tried to use hijacked merchant vessels.
The Indians were rescued after EU Naval Force warship HSwMS Carlskrona, together with NATO counter piracy Dutch warship HNLMS Van Speijk, closed in.
"This type of cargo vessel, known as a dhow, has been used in the past by pirates as a 'mother ship,' to enable them to sail far out to sea to attack passing merchant ships," Terrant said.
He said the master of the Indian dhow sent out an alert on Wednesday morning, saying that it was under attack from 12 armed pirates.
He said the Royal Swedish Navy warship, HSwMS Carlskrona, which has been part of the EU's counter piracy mission, Operation Atalanta, later closed the scene after hearing the alert and as darkness fell, maintained a constant watch on the vessel.
"As the Swedish helicopter from HSwMS Carlskrona overflew the scene, the pirates, now under increasing pressure from the military forces, forced the master to close the Somali coast so they could abandon the vessel in the dead of night," Terrant said.
"Shortly afterwards, it was with a great sense of relief that the Indian master was able to report to the EU Naval Force that all the pirates had left his ship and that none of his crew were injured."
Piracy off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden reduced drastically in 2012 as only 75 incidents including 14 hijackings were attributed to Somali pirates who continue to threaten an extended geographical region, according to a global maritime watchdog.
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said in a global piracy report that only five attacks were reported in the last quarter of 2012, adding that the number of Somali hijackings was halved from 28 in 2011 to 14 last year.
The maritime watchdog said the drop is likely due to the increased active military action on suspected skiffs, military land based anti-piracy operations, preventive measures and increased use of armed guards on board ships as well as the monsoon season.
Breathing and Working Together：Mobile app tells you Beijing's environment
Feedback
RSS
