Indian navy destroys pirate ship after coming under fire

[Mugu]

guardian.co.uk, Xan Rice in Nairobi

Somali bandits terrorising the busy shipping routes around the Horn of Africa suffered a rare setback when an Indian warship destroyed a pirate "mothership" after coming under fire in the Gulf of Aden.

The Indian navy said that its frigate, one of the numerous international warships dispatched to patrol the waters around the Horn of Africa, had approached a suspicious vessel yesterday evening. It turned out to be a previously captured ship being used by pirates as a base from which to launch their speedboats far out to sea.

"The INS Tabar closed in on the mother vessel and asked her to stop for investigation," an Indian navy spokesman said today. "But on repeated calls, the vessel's threatening response was that she would blow up the naval warship if it approached."

After a heavy exchange of fire the mothership was destroyed. Two speedboats escaped.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/19/somalia-pirates">Complete article

[NeedleCast]

1. Pirates getting a little cocky

It's one thing to take a unarmed cargo ship...quite another when dealing with a Navy vessel.

[Posteritatis]

2. Did I just hear Darwin's pager go off? (nt)

[Renew Deal]

3. Good

Hopefully they can keep it up.

[Azooz]

4. Pirates and false flags

I hope all those pirates are destroyed fast, they might be used as an excuse to get Somalia invaded yet again.

The UIC kicked out the Somali war lords and pirates, then Somalia was invaded by Ethiopia and they were removed, and the war lords and pirates returned to power. The UIC are now almost back in power, given time the UIC will remove the pirates and war lords again - but Bush seems to need those war lords and pirates in place.

I think that the Republicans set Somalia on fire just before Clinton was in office, not strange to see it happen again before Obama walks into the White House.

[W_HAMILTON]

5. I want to be a pirate :(

Of course, I don't want to get shot and die, but seeing as how I keep hearing these pirate stories on the news, apparently most boats just let the pirates take over.

Being a pirate sounds sorta cool :( I know what I'm gonna do when I hit my mid-life crisis!