Assault on the Montecristo
(BRUSSELS2) The Montecristo was liberated on Tuesday (11 October) by British commandos from RFA Fort Victoria, assisted by the American frigate USS De Wert. Two ships participating in the NATO anti-piracy mission (Ocean Shield). This Italian bulk carrier of 56.000 tons, owned by D'Alesio Shipping Co, had been captured the day before (October 10) by pirates 230 miles east of the island of Socotra (Yemen) while on its way from Liverpool to Vietnam.
The crew of 23 sailors (7 Italians, 6 Ukrainians and 10 Indians) then sealed themselves off in a "citadel" in the engine room, after calling for help. The American frigate From Wert followed by British Fort Victoria put the engines "all" to get there. It only took him 30 hours to reach the position of the cargo ship while the British ship was more than 500 miles from the Italian cargo ship. The pirates did not immediately surrender to the mere sight of the American frigate or the British military, as indicated by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There was resistance according to the Royal Navy. When Fort Victoria's Lynx helicopter asked them to surrender, the pirates refused. It took the intervention of the commandos for the pirates to decide to abandon their weapons and surrender. The 11 suspects were immediately arrested. And they could be brought to justice, says the Italian Foreign Ministry. Which would be a first, on the Italian side!
