Updated: South Korean Navy Kills 8 Pirates in Gulf of Aden Rescue

Just before dawn South Korean elite forces silently approached a freighter that had been captured by Somali pirates.

During the attack, code-named “Dawn of Gulf of Aden”, a South Korean navy destroyer and Lynx helicopter fired warning shots and provided cover fire for the raid team. The pirates onboard fired back with AK-47s and rocket propelled grenades. South Korean forces returned fire, killing eight pirates and capturing five.

All 21 crew members (2 Indonesians, 8 South Koreans, 11 Myanmarians) are alive and have been freed. Only one sailor was injured during the raid, the captain of the ship. Military officials say he was shot in the stomach by a pirate. A U.S. Navy helicopter from the USS Shoup airlifted the captain for medical treatment; he is expected to make a full recovery.

The attack lasted more than five hours and involved more than 300 South Korean military personnel.

The South Korean navy had been tailing the hijacked cargo ship known as SAMHO JEWELERY for days in the Arabian Sea. Officials say they decided to attack after pirates appeared exhausted and after receiving reports suggesting a pirate mother ship was leaving a Somali port. South Korean officials say this attack demonstrates their refusal to negotiate with pirates.

The SAMHO JEWELERY was hijacked on January 15, approximately 350 nautical miles south east of the port of Muscat, Oman. The Maltese flagged tanker was carrying chemicals from the UAE to Sri Lanka when she was attacked.

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) was in full approval of Friday's mission but did expressed some concern with the danger posed by such a rescue. In statement released Friday they said the following:

IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan commented: “The IMB commends the robust actions of the South Korean navy and renews its call for greater naval action in the fight against this brand of maritime crime.”

In 2011 there have been 39 incidents reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC). Of these, 31 are attributed to Somali pirate gangs. Of the Somali attacks, 14 have been on tankers whilst other attacks have been on bulk carriers, general cargo, container and vehicle carrier vessels. Additionally, tugs, dhows and supply vessels have been targeted.

Mr Mukundan continued: “We recognise the risks posed to crew in actions of this type and advises that navies only give the orders after consultation with a vessel’s owners and flag state.”

IMB strongly urges all shipmasters and owners to report all actual, attempted or suspicious piracy, and armed robbery incidents to the PRC. Captain Mukundan said this first step in the response chain is vital in ensuring that governments allocate adequate resources to tackling piracy. He said that transparent statistics from an independent, non-political, international organization act as a catalyst to achieve this goal.

South Korea announced Monday that recent intelligence suggests pirates are planning retaliation after Friday's raid and plan to more aggressively target South Korean vessels.

South Korea plans on turning over the bodies of the eight dead pirates to the Somali government soon.
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Source: IMB Piracy Reporting Centre