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RFA and US Navy Ship rescue Italian ship held by Pirates

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News Flash

It has been confirmed that RFA Fort Victoria was involved along with the USS De Wert in rescuing an Italian ship held by Pirates.

News Flash

It has been confirmed that RFA Fort Victoria was involved along with the USS De Wert in rescuing an Italian ship held by Pirates.

 

Somali pirates hijacked an Italian-owned cargo ship on Monday 10 October 2011 with twenty three crew members on board off the coast of the Horn of Africa. The ship was on passage from Liverpool to Vietnam with a cargo of scrap metal.

Twelve pirates attacked MV Montecristo and seized it roughly 620 nautical miles east of the Somali coast.

MV_Montecristo_2

The heavily armed pirates are reportedly taking the hijacked Italian ship to Harardhere town in the Mudug Province of central Somalia. 

There are seven Italians, ten Ukrainians and six Indian nationals aboard the ship. 

The vessel has been freed… thanks to the joint intervention of two ships from the United States and British navies, which had been operating as part of NATO’s anti-piracy operations, Ocean Shield. It is understood that the pirates gave themselves up and are being held in detention.

Watch the BBC news coverage at the following links:-

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15265864

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-15296654