After anti-piracy mission, INS Cankarso returns home
By IANSWednesday, February 2, 2011
PANAJI - After destroying a pirate vessel and capturing 14 Somalian pirates off the Lakshadweep islands Friday, the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Cankarso returned to its home port at Goa Wednesday.
The Indian Navy in a press statement Wednesday said INS Cankarso had paired with other Indian Coast Guard (ICG) vessels in a secret maritime operation code-named ‘Island Watch’.
“It may be recalled that the naval ship successfully engaged the pirate mother ship ‘Prantlay’ in self-defence and sunk the same near the Lakshadweep islands on Jan 28 while on anti-piracy patrol near the Lakshadweep island,” the statement says.
“The pirate ship was ordered to stop on being accosted at high sea. However, the pirate ship fired at Cankarso and tried to flee west. Cankarso opened fire in self-defence, due to which a fire broke out on the pirates’ mother vessel and she eventually sank,” it adds.
The navy officials also arrested 15 Somali sea brigands, who had all jumped overboard from the burning pirate vessel. The original crew of Prantlay, who too jumped off the burning and sinking ship, were rescued.
–Indo Asian News Service
