PressTv: Danish warship rescues cargo ship, pirates

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 14:21:14 GMT Denmark's Absalon warship A Danish warship has rescued a Dutch cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, it also rescued five pirates after they were forced into the water.

Netherlands Antilles-registered cargo ship sent the Absalon warship a call for help noting that it was being attacked by five pirates in a speedboat Friday morning.

"Absalon immediately sent an armed helicopter to the area, and the helicopter fired warning shots at the pirates to get them to stop the attack," the navy said in a statement.

"The Dutch trade ship fired emergency flares at the pirate ship, which caught fire. The pirates jumped into the water and were rescued by Absalon crew members," it added.

The Danish warship then sank the burning pirate vessel to ensure that it does not pose a threat to civilian shipping activities in the area.

The rescued pirates will remain onboard the Absalon until the navy decides what to do with them, the statement said.

Denmark took command last September of the international Task Force 150, which is hunting down Somali pirates and arms smugglers in the northern Indian Ocean.

More than 100 attacks occurred in the pirate-infested waters off the coast of Somalia in 2008 alone.

HSH/RA