Indian navy captures 23 pirates in Gulf of Aden

[unhappycamper]

Indian navy captures 23 pirates in Gulf of Aden
By Jeremiah Marquez - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Dec 14, 2008 9:54:07 EST

NEW DELHI — The Indian navy captured 23 pirates who threatened a merchant vessel in the lawless waters of the Gulf of Aden and a German naval helicopter thwarted another attack Saturday on a freighter being chased by speedboats off Yemen.

The successes came days before Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was to ask the United Nations to authorize “all necessary measures” against increasingly bold Somalian pirates operating in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

An Indian navy ship, the INS Mysore, was escorting merchant ships in waters off Somalia’s coast Saturday when it received a distress call from seamen on board the MV Gibe, who said they were being fired on by two boats that were approaching fast.

The Mysore and its helicopter sped to the scene, and the pirate boats attempted to escape when they saw them, according to a statement from the Indian government.

Indian marine commandoes boarded the pirate boats and seized “a substantial cache of arms and equipment,” including seven AK-47 assault rifles, three machine guns, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and other weapons, the statement said. They also found a GPS receiver and other equipment.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/12/ap_india_pirates_122408/%2e