India navy sinks suspected pirate 'mother ship'

[charlie and algernon]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27766333/?GT1=43001

NEW DELHI, India - An Indian naval vessel sank a suspected pirate "mother ship" Wednesday in the Gulf of Aden and chased two attack boats into the night, officials said, in a day of escalating violence in the lawless seas.

Separate bands of pirates seized a Thai ship with 16 crew members and a Iranian cargo vessel with a crew of 25 in the area, where Somalia-based pirates appear to be attacking ships at will, said Noel Choong of the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Malaysia.

"It's getting out of control," Choong said. A multicoalition naval force has increased patrols in the region, and scored a rare success Tuesday when the Indian warship, operating off the coast of Oman, stopped a ship similar to a pirate vessel mentioned in numerous piracy bulletins. The Indian navy said the pirates fired on the INS Tabar after the officers asked it to stop to be searched.

"Pirates were seen roaming on the upper deck of this vessel with guns and rocket propelled grenade launchers," said a statement from the Indian navy. Indian forces fired back, sparking fires and a series of onboard blasts — possibly due to exploding ammunition — and destroying the ship.



Damn, I think Obama needs to stop reading Lincoln and start reading about how Jefferson waged the Barbary war against African coast pirates. Either that or rent all three 'Pirates of the Caribbean'

[maxsolomon]

1. "mothership"?

almost makes me feel sympathetic for the pirates - they lost their mommy!