HDMS Absalon

Sixteen hostages were freed when the Danish warship HDMS Absalon attacked pirates in control of a hijacker vessel off the coast of Somalia late Sunday.  Two crew from the hijacked ship were found to have severe injuries and subsequently died.   The circumstances of their injuries were not immediately known nor were their nationalities given.  Seventeen suspected pirates were also taken into custody.

HDMS Absalon had been shadowing the hijacked ship for several days.  The ship was believed to be operating as a pirate “mother ship,” a ship used an operating base for other attacks on merchant shipping.  When the ship attempted to head out to sea away from the coast, the Danish ship ordered it to stop and fired warning shots before opening firing on the vessel.

This is the second mother ship captured by the Absalon in recent months. On January  7, the ship captured a suspected pirate mothership and rescued 14 hostages from Iran and Pakistan. They took into custody 25 suspected pirates — 17 of whom were later released. Eight others were handed over to Seychelles authorities and to Kenya for prosecution.

Denmark’s navy says 2 hostages killed, 16 freed, as Danish warship confronts hijacked vessel

Thanks to Phil Leon for contributing to this post.