Wednesday, August 22, 2007
The pirates turned over the Danica White to a French warship, where the five crew members were undergoing a medical evaluation, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The five Danes were in good condition considering the circumstances, "although the hijacking has been a great strain," the ministry said.
The ship on its way to the Kenyan port of Mombasa from Dubai when it was seized by Somali pirates in early June.
Only days after the Danica White was captured, a U.S. ship fired several warning shots across its bow and also destroyed three small boats the pirates had used in their assault and were towing behind the Danish vessel.
The U.S. ship called off its pursuit after the pirates navigated the Danica White into Somalia's territorial waters, where the U.S. does not have jurisdiction.
It was not immediately clear where the ship was turned over, and whether any ransom was paid for the crew members' release. The Foreign Ministry said they would soon be reunited with their families.
"The five crew members will undergo a medical evaluation on the French warship and receive food after which Danica White will be escorted to a safe port," the ministry said.
Somali pirates are trained fighters, often dressed in military fatigues and using speedboats equipped with satellite phones and Global Positioning System technology. They target passenger and cargo vessels for ransom or loot, and use the money to buy weapons.
Source: AP, Aug 22, 2007
