EU warship rescues Indian vessel, crew from pirates

Twenty five Indian crew members and their vessel were rescued from pirates in the Gulf of Aden by a European warship operating there last week.

The EUNAVFOR warship FGS Berlin had launched a rescue mission after receiving a distress call from an Indian flagged merchant vessel on February 28 by sending a chopper there.

"The Berlin dispatched one of its helicopters which established that the dhow had been pirated and the crew of 25 Indian nationals were held hostage. The suspected pirates threatened to kill crew members if the warship took any action against the dhow," the EUNAVFOR said.

"The sustained but measured application of pressure and determination of Berlin not only safeguarded the lives of the hostages but also saved them from a potentially protracted period in captivity," it said.

After safeguarding the Indian crew, the Berlin also destroyed the two unmanned skiffs towed by the dhow, without which pirates cannot mount any attack against merchant shipping.

"Even though Berlin was not in a position to prevent the suspected pirates escaping to the Somali Coast, EUNAVFOR has destroyed the attack skiffs, denied the suspect pirates the use of the dhow as a mother-ship and disrupted a Pirate Action Group," it said.

They said that after providing medical care to four crew members on board, food and water was delivered to the Indian crew, and they resumed their journey to their next port of call in the dhow.