Royal Navy rescues hostages from Somali pirates

British forces have freed an Italian cargo ship that was attacked by pirates off Somalia.

After the pirates grabbed the ship on Monday, the crew took refuge in a secure and armoured area where, called for help and continued to navigate the vessel.

The Royal and US navies each sent a ship to the area, and the 11 pirates on the cargo ship surrendered and were arrested.

All 23 crew members of the Montecristo cargo ship are now safe and free - seven Italians, six Ukrainians and 10 Indians

The Montecristo’s owner, D’Alessio Group, said that the attack occurred 620 miles off Somalia as the crew was hauling scrap iron to Vietnam on a journey that began on September 20 in Liverpool.

Pirates flourish off largely lawless Somalia by attacking passing ships, taking hostages and demanding ransoms to free them and the vessels.

International militaries are increasingly tasking assault teams with boarding ships and battling pirates in order to win the release of hostages.

In April this year, a Danish assault team freed 18 hostages after boarding a vessel off Somalia’s coast. Three pirates were wounded. Only 10 days later South Korean commandos stormed a container ships and freed the 21 crew on board. In May Indonesian forces killed four Somali pirates after the hostage-takers were paid a ransom and freed hostages.

But for every successful attack against hostage-taking pirates, far more pirates make it back to Somalia with their hostages in hand.

A Danish yachting family of five was taken by pirates in February and only released last month.

And one attempted rescue of four hijacked Americans aboard their private yacht went wrong in February when the pirates killed them as US naval ships shadowed the yacht.

Pirate currently hold at least 10 ships and 251 hostages, according to the anti-piracy military coalition European Union Naval Force.