Russian, U.K. ships repel Somali pirate attack

[unhappycamper]

Russian, U.K. ships repel Somali pirate attack
By Mohamed Olad Hassan and Steve Gutterman - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Nov 12, 2008 13:57:21 EST

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Russian and British forces repelled a pirate attack on a cargo ship in the first action by a Russian warship sent to fight hijackings off Somalia, the two nations said Wednesday.

Russian Navy spokesman Capt. Igor Dygalo said the Russian missile frigate Neustrashimy and the British frigate Cumberland each sent up a helicopter and foiled pirates trying to take over the Danish vessel.

“The pirates tried to hit the ship with automatic weapons fire and made several attempts to seize it,” Dygalo said on state-run Vesti-24 television.

He did not say whether the Russians or British opened fire.

The British Ministry of Defense said that the incident occurred Tuesday and one of its warships had boarded a foreign-flagged dhow — a traditional wooden vessel — suspected of piracy.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/11/ap_pirate_attack_111208/%2e