2012 barely started when the first shots were fired in the battle against piracy. In the next months I want to use this blog, among other things, to tell you about the realities of piracy and the tragic consequences it entails for seafaring men and women, shipping companies and eventually the world economy. The story that follows is the latest about an encounter with pirates in the past week.

Copenhagen, Jan 9 2012:
A Danish war vessel freed 14 Iranian and Pakistani hostages after a battle at sea, launched by Somali pirates, the Danish fleet reports.

On Saturday, the battleship, Absalon, part of a NATO guided programme against piracy, followed a fishing vessel that had been under surveillance for some time. They thought that the vessel was one of the mother ships enabling pirate operations.

The operation took place as planned, without harming the ship’s crew, the hostages or the pirates, reports Captain Carsten Fjord Larsen, captain of the Absalon.

After three hours, the 25 pirates surrendered. Some started throwing weapons overboard and others followed, Larsen says.

The Absalon fired warning shots and verbally instructed the pirates to surrender. Upon inspection, the fishing vessel, that the pirates took over from its crew earlier, was equipped with small motorboats, fuel and weapons allegedly used in previous attacks.

The pirates are now under arrest, while the fishing vessel is in custody of the Absalon, to be returned to its lawful owner.

There was no information about the period that the hostages had been held. Larson says that they contacted their families.

Somalia has been without a functional government since 1991 and the country became home to pirates that launch numerous attacks on commercial vessels along the Somali coast.

It is a rare victory in the battle against piracy.
(Adjusted and translated from NATO web site)