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Indian navy rushes warship to Somali coast
New Delhi: With seven Indian sailors still being held hostage by pirates despite payment of ransom, the Navy has placed one of its warships on high alert and sent it from anti-piracy patrol duties in the Gulf of Aden to the Somali coast.Navy sources said here on Monday that the Talwar-class frigate -- already in the vicinity of the piracy crisis -- was rushed in an offensive posturing and may see some military action to rescue the hostages. The pirates, who released eight other Indian sailors of cargo ship MV Asphalt Venture held hostage since September last, have reportedly sought to use the seven hostages as lever to seek release of over 120 of their comrades being held in prisons in India after they were captured by the navy in the Indian Ocean in the last six months. The Navy was, however, unwilling to divulge details of the mandate given to the warship that has positioned itself off the Somali coast with regard to the current hostage crisis. Hmmmmm...stay tuned. Posted by: tu3031 2011-04-18 |
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