By Calvin Palmer
The Royal Navy and pirates are no strangers. Back in the 18th Century, when Britain was not fighting Spain or France, its navy patrolled the Caribbean and protected shipping from the likes of Blackbeard and William Kidd.
The stuff of history books and the recent Pirates of the Caribbean franchise were brought back to life yesterday when Royal Marines from the Type 22 frigate HMS Cumberland killed two Somali pirates in a raid on a fishing boat in the Gulf of Aden. A third Yemeni pirate on the vessel subsequently died from his wounds.
HMS Cumberland, on anti-piracy patrol as part of a Nato maritime force, detected the dhow and identified it as a stolen Yemeni-registered vessel that had been involved in an attack on the Danish-registered MV Powerful earlier yesterday. The pirates had opened fire on the cargo boat with assault rifles.
The rules of engagement allow the Royal Navy to intervene when pirates are positively identified. The commandos were dispatched from the frigate in rigid-raider craft. The Ministry of Defence said the Marines circled the pirates’ boat to try and persuade them to stop.
However, the mixed crew of Somalis and Yemenis opened fire with assault rifles and the Marines returned fire in “self defence” and then boarded the dhow.
After the display of firepower, the pirates meekly surrendered. The Royal Marines found weapons and other “paraphernalia” on board.
A Royal Navy spokesman said: “Various non-forcible methods had been used in an attempt to stop the dhow but they were unsuccessful. Boats were launched to circle the dhow in an attempt to encourage it to stop – these boats were fired at from the dhow and the crews returned fire in self defence.
“The dhow crew subsequently surrendered and a compliant boarding followed. It was then clear that two personnel, believed to be pirates, had been shot and killed.”
The seriously wounded Yemeni pirate was treated by HMS Cumberland’s doctor but died from his wounds.
In Afghanistan, two Royal Marines were killed yesterday when their vehicle was struck by an explosive device while they were on patrol in the Garmsir district of Southern Helmand.
Commander Paula Rowe, of Task Force Helmand, said: “This is a tragic blow to us all in the task force, but our loss is nothing compared to that of their families and loved ones. Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this terrible time.”
Next of kin have been informed.
The deaths of the two Marines bring the number of British services personnel killed in Afghanistan since operations began to 124.
In a separate incident today, a suicide car bomber in eastern Afghanistan killed 20 civilians and an American soldier, a US military spokesman said.
Lieutenant Commander Walter Matthews said the bomber attacked a US convoy in a crowded market in the Bati Kot district of Nangarhar province.
[Based on reports by The Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Independent.]
