Danish special forces have stormed a ship captured by Somali pirates and freed 25 crew members, an EU naval spokesman said in Nairobi.

Cdr John Harbour told the Associated Press news agency it was the first time a warship had intervened after pirates boarded a vessel.

Troops in inflatable dinghies moved in after a distress signal from the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged Ariella.

It is not clear if the pirates left the ship before the troops arrived.

The special forces, who set out from a Danish warship in the area, scaled the side of the ship and freed the 25 crew members, who had locked themselves in a secure room, Cdr Harbour said.

Troops were continuing to search the vessel for the pirates, he added.

Perilous seas

When the distress signal was received, the Danish warship Absalon sent a helicopter to confirm the presence of pirates, and communicated with the crew to ensure they were in a safe location, the spokesman said.

Cdr Harbour praised Nato forces for their fast reaction and coordination with other forces in the area.

There had, he said, “been many instances where there’s been excellent cooperation and three, four or even five nations have helped deter a pirate attack”.

But, he added, “this is the first where a warship has been able to send forces to stop a hijacking while it was in progress”.

Warships typically do not intervene in hijackings because of the danger that crews may be hit by crossfire, the spokesman pointed out.

But forces were able to intervene in this case because the ship had registered with naval authorities, was travelling along a recommended transit corridor and was part of a group transit, ensuring the ships had a helicopter within 30 minutes’ reaction time.

The location of the incident on Friday morning was not being reported immediately.

The waters around Somalia are among the most dangerous in the world, despite patrols from EU and other foreign naval forces.

Somalia, riven by war, has had no functioning government since 1991, allowing pirates to operate along the lawless coast, almost with impunity.

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