According to a release from the Indian governments Press Information Bureau, the pirates had turned the Vega 5 into one of their mother ships, and were using it to launch attacks on shipping in the Arabian Sea. On Friday, Indian anti-piracy vessels received a distress signal from a container ship, the MV Vancouver Bridge, which was coming under pirate attack. A Dornier aircraft, in service with the Indian navy, located the Vega 5.
On spotting the aircraft, the pirates abandoned their attack, and the Vega 5 attempted to escape from the area. But Indian aircraft continually tracked the vessel, while two Indian ships, the Khukri (a missile corvette) and the Kalpeni (a fast attack craft), already involved in anti-piracy patrols, were sent to intercept the Vega 5.
On Saturday night, the Kalpeni closed in on the Vega 5. The pirates launched two skiffs which opened fire on the Kalpeni. The Indian vessel returned fire, and a fire then broke out on board the Vega 5. The Indian release suggests this was because the additional fuel drums, stored on deck to fuel the skiffs, had been hit.
People on board the stricken Vega 5, jumped over board, and the Kalpeni and the Khukri picked up 74 of them. These were 61 Somali pirates and 13 members of the original Vega 5 crew. Indian ships and aircraft are still in the area, looking for anyone else from the Vega 5 still in the water.
The Vega 5 had a crew of 24 19 Mozambicans, three Indonesians and two Spaniards. The Indian release did not give the nationalities of the 13 men rescued, nor did it say how badly damaged the Vega 5 was. Preliminary investigations by the Indians indicated that the pirates were carrying 80-90 small arms and rifles, and a few heavier weapons (believed to be RPG rocket launchers).
The Vega 5 was the third pirate mother ship seized by the Indian navy. The other two incidents took place on 28 January and 5 February, and resulted in the arrests of 43 pirates.The present apprehension of 61 pirates in one incident is the most significant success against the pirates so far, said the release. The manner in which firm and resolute actions have been taken by the Indian Navy demonstrates the nation’s determination to strengthen safety of merchant shipping in the international sea lanes in the Arabian Sea with due regard to international humanitarian law, even when dealing with a group of hardened pirates.
Mozambican Fisheries Minister Victor Borges told AIM on Monday that the Mozambican embassy in India has been instructed to obtain more information from the Indian authorities. He promised to make this public as soon as it was received.
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