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发帖数: 1184 | 1 http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/01/21/south.korea.pirate.
South Koreans pull off daring rescue of pirated ship
By the CNN Wire Staff
January 21, 2011 12:02 p.m. EST
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Pirate hijacking foiled
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* The South Korean navy rescued 21 sailors, killed eight pirates and
captured five
* The freighter was on its way to Sri Lanka when it was seized by Somali
pirates
* South Korea's president praises the bold rescue operation
Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- It was code-named "Dawn of Gulf of Aden," and
when South Korea gave it a green light Friday, its daring execution led to
five hours of chilling drama on the high seas.
A South Korean navy destroyer and Lynx helicopters fired warning shots as
elite forces, in pre-dawn darkness, silently approached the deck of the
freighter Samho Jewelry, hijacked by Somali pirates Saturday, according to
the Yonhap news agency.
The pirates fired with their AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades. The South
Koreans shot back.
When it was all over, the South Koreans had rescued 21 sailors, killed eight
pirates and captured five others, said Lt. Gen. Lee Sung-ho, a spokesman
for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Demystifying modern-day pirates
RELATED TOPICS
* Somali Pirates
* South Korea
The captain of the 11,500-ton ship was shot in the stomach during the rescue
, but no other crew member was hurt.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak praised the bold rescue in a nationally
televised address. "Our military carried out the operation perfectly under
difficult circumstances," he said. "We will not accept any actions that
threaten the lives of our people."
Lee said the U.S. military also assisted in the operation.
A U.S. Navy helicopter from the USS Shoup performed a medical evacuation in
the operation.
"This mission shows that the South Korean government will not negotiate with
pirates," Lee said.
The South Koreans launched their secret rescue mission earlier in the week,
chasing the Samho Jewelry for days in the Arabian Sea. When the pirates
seemed exhausted and after intelligence that suggested a pirate "mother ship
" was leaving a Somali port, the South Koreans decided to attempt the rescue
, Yonhap said.
The Samho Jewelry was carrying chemicals from the United Arab Emirates to
Sri Lanka when it was hijacked.
Somali pirates have seized seven other South Korean ships. All but one have
been released with ransom payments, Yonhap said.
CNN's Paula Hancocks and Charley Keyes contributed to this report. |
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