Special Forces Free Crew Of Hijacked Ship

The crew of an Italian cargo ship hijacked by Somali pirates has been freed by British and US special forces, Italy's defence ministry has said.

Eleven pirates were captured after the rescue operation, the foreign ministry added.

It said the rescue operation was carried out by forces from two naval vessels, one from the US and one from Britain.

Pirates attacked the Montecristo vessel carrying 23 crew members - seven Italians, six Ukranians and 10 Indians - on Monday.

The foreign ministry said the crew of the 55,675 bulk carrier had taken refugee inside an armoured shelter on board the ship when it was hijacked.

Crew members had continued to control its movements, bringing it closer to an area where anti-piracy forces were patrolling.

The ship's owners said the crew had trained in anti-piracy drills and the move into an armoured shelter is apparently part of new measures to combat attacks.

Somali pirates, operating on small inflatables, normally use rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles, with no heavier armaments that would penetrate armour plating.

The foreign ministry said the US and Britain had operated under the orders of Italian Admiral Gualtiero Mattesi, commander of the Nato Ocean Shield anti-piracy task force.

Earlier, defence minister Ignazio La Russa said Italy would shortly deploy a special naval force on merchant vessels to protect them from Somali gunmen in an escalation of international efforts to combat the scourge of piracy.

Many ships already carry private security contractors to counter piracy, but deployment of military forces is a significant boost in measures that had previously been hampered by disputes over the legality of using lethal force.

Pirates flourish off largely lawless Somalia by attacking passing ships, taking hostages and demanding ransoms to free them and the vessels.