Indian Navy captures 28 Somali pirates near Lakshadweep islands
By ANIMonday, February 7, 2011
LAKSHADWEEP - In a major coordinated operation, the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard personnel apprehended a pirate mother ship Prantlaya 11 along with 28 Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea.
The ship was apprehended about 100 nautical miles off the coast of Lakshadweep Islands near Kavaratti on Sunday.
The Western Naval Command of the Indian Navy received inputs from its warships on Saturday that a Greek-flagged merchant ship MV Chios had experienced a concerted attack from pirates using high-speed skiffs about 100 nautical miles west off Kavaratti islands.
Indian Naval forces deployed INS Tir to track the ship.
The Kochi-based command had also launched a Dornier aircraft, which eventually located the pirate skiffs and the mother vessel.
INS Tir and CGS Samar, a coast guard vessel, surrounded the pirate ship following which the pirates opened fire on the ships and later signalled their intention to surrender.
During the operation, three pirates were reported injured.
The 28 pirates, who have been arrested, are all of Somali origin.
The Indian Navy also rescued 24 Thai fishermen, who were being held hostage aboard the trawler. They were all transferred to the CGS Samar.
The coast guard ship is now en route to Mumbai, with the Prantlaya in tow. (ANI)
