Update on SKorea storms Somali pirates to rescue ship crew
South Korean navy commandos stormed a ship hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean last night and rescued all the crew.
Eight pirates were killed in the raid on the chemical freighter, which was seized along with 21 crew on January 15 in the Arabian Sea while en route to Sri Lanka.
The captain of the 11,500-ton Samho Jewelry was shot in the stomach during the attack, and three commandos also suffered wounds.
Colonel Lee Bung-Woo, a spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said: 'Our special forces stormed the hijacked Samho Jewelry earlier today and freed all hostages.
'During the operation, our forces killed some Somali pirates and all of the hostages were confirmed alive.'
Eight South Koreans, two Indonesians and 11 from Myanmar were on board the vessel when it was attacked after setting out from the UAE.
Seoul ordered a destroyer on patrol in the Gulf of Aden to give chase and President Lee Myung-Bak ordered 'all possible measures' to save the crew.
Today's rescue followed a gunbattle on Tuesday, when the destroyer encountered pirates who had left the South Korean freighter to try to seize a nearby Mongolian vessel.
Commandos on board a speedboat and a Lynx helicopter were dispatched to rescue the Mongolian ship.
Several pirates were believed to have been killed during that raid, although their bodies have not been found.
The rescue comes as a boost for South Korea's military, which was strongly criticised for a perceived weak response to North Korea's shelling of a disputed border island in November.
South Korean navy commandos stormed a ship hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean last night and rescued all the crew.
Eight pirates were killed in the raid on the chemical freighter, which was seized along with 21 crew on January 15 in the Arabian Sea while en route to Sri Lanka.
The captain of the 11,500-ton Samho Jewelry was shot in the stomach during the attack, and three commandos also suffered wounds.
Storm: Commandos stand poised to enter the bridge of the vessel after rappelling on to the ship in the Arabian Sea
Overpowered: Commandos guard some of the alleged pirates after storming the warship
Mission accomplished: South Korean navy personnel secure a boat used by Somali pirates to hijack a chemical tanker
'During the operation, our forces killed some Somali pirates and all of the hostages were confirmed alive.'
Eight South Koreans, two Indonesians and 11 from Myanmar were on board the vessel when it was attacked after setting out from the UAE.
Seoul ordered a destroyer on patrol in the Gulf of Aden to give chase and President Lee Myung-Bak ordered 'all possible measures' to save the crew.
Fatal: AK-47 assault rifles used by the pirates are pictured on the deck of a South Korean warship. Eight pirates were killed in the raid
Operation: Ladders used by the pirates to attack ships in the Arabian Sea were also recovered
Commandos on board a speedboat and a Lynx helicopter were dispatched to rescue the Mongolian ship.
Several pirates were believed to have been killed during that raid, although their bodies have not been found.
The rescue comes as a boost for South Korea's military, which was strongly criticised for a perceived weak response to North Korea's shelling of a disputed border island in November.
Planned: General Lee Seong-ho stands in front of a map of the attack on the hijacked Samho Jewelry Daily Mail Reporter
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