Indian Navy captures 23 pirates off Somalia

NEW DELHI - The Indian Navy captured 23 pirates who threatened a merchant vessel yesterday in the lawless waters of the Gulf of Aden, where dozens of ships have come under attack by gunmen in recent months.

An Indian Navy ship, the INS Mysore, was escorting merchant ships in the gulf off Somalia when it received a distress call from seamen on board the MV Gibe who said they were being attacked by two boats.

The message said the pirates were firing as their boats closed in on the Gibe, according to a statement from the Indian government. The pirate boats attempted to escape when they saw the Mysore and its helicopter, but were boarded by Indian marine commandos, the statement said.

The pirates had "a substantial cache of arms and equipment," including seven AK-47 assault rifles, three machine guns, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, and other weapons, the statement said. The Indian military also found a GPS receiver and other equipment.

The pirates captured by the Indian Navy were from Somalia and Yemen, two countries on the coast of the Gulf of Aden. The Gibe was flying an Ethiopian flag, but there was no further information about the ship.