Dutch navy captures 13 suspected pirates off Oman coast

EU NAVFOR is holding 13 pirate suspects today after an attack on the general cargo ship BBC TOGO 150 n-miles south of Salalah, Oman.

The 7,800dwt ship was attacked by pirates in two skiffs yesterday afternoon. However, barbed wire and other protective measures stopped the attackers from boarding. No casualties were reported.

The Dutch warship Evertsen from EU NAVFOR and the Canadian warship Fredericton of NATO searched for the attackers.
In the evening Evertsen localized a dhow with two skiffs in the area of the earlier attack and fitting the given description commandos boarded.

In addition to the 13 suspects, "two of the original crew [were] on board. Ladders, grappling hooks, and nine automatic weapons, 1 RPG with three grenades and cases with ammunition were found,” EU NAVFOR said.

The Dutch Defense Ministry said its navy had captured the 13 pirates off the coast of Oman after they attacked the merchant marine ship.

It said the pirates used speedboats and guns and tried to board the Antigua-flagged BBC TOGO, but were repelled, because the ship was well prepared in accordance with the ’Best Management Practices’ with barbed wires and other Self Protection Measures.

The pirates failed to board the vessel. Automatic weapons were fired, but luckily no casualties were reported.

They then returned to a larger fishing boat where a Dutch frigate captured them yesterday evening, 240 kilometres south of Salalah.

The Dutch seized machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, ammunition and boarding hooks.

The pirates are being held on the HMS Evertsen and may be turned over to Kenya or the Seychelles for prosecution, the ministry said today.

It is, however, not yet clear, if the mothership is the missing, sea-jacked Yemeni fishing vessel FV SHAXAR - EU NAVFOR couldn't say.

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