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Indian Frigate Sinks Somali Pirate 'Mother Ship'

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The Washington Post

Published: November 20, 2008

NEW DELHI, India - An Indian navy frigate on Tuesday battled with and sank a suspected Somali pirate "mother ship" in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest and most lawless shipping lanes.

Amid a surge of piracy around the hijacking-plagued Horn of Africa, the Indian navy said in a statement that fire from its INS Tabar set the pirate vessel aflame after it failed to stop for investigation.

The Indian navy statement said the crew of the renegade vessel could be seen onboard with a full complement of modern weapons and tools: satellite phones, night-vision goggles, AK-47 assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. The ship was spotted while the Tabar was patrolling 285 nautical miles southwest of the coast of Oman on Tuesday evening.

The crew of the Tabar demanded the vessel stop, but the pirate ship responded by threatening to "blow up the naval warship if it closed on her," the Indian navy statement said. The pirates then fired on the Tabar, and the crew of the Indian ship responded.

"Pirates were seen roaming on the upper deck of this vessel with guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. The vessel continued its threatening calls and subsequently fired upon INS Tabar," the Indian navy said in a statement.

Some of the pirates tried to escape on two speedboats that the larger vessel had in tow. The Indian sailors gave chase. One boat was later found abandoned, and a second boat escaped.

More than 90 ships have been hijacked off Somalia this year, a country that has not had a functioning national government since 1991 and has suffered continuing chaos and rule by small factions.

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