October 11th, 2011
09:49 AM ET

Ship's crew freed from pirates after Italian, U.S., British operation

The crew of an Italian ship seized by pirates on Monday was freed Tuesday thanks to an operation by U.S. and British troops working with the Italian military, the Italian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

Eleven pirates who hijacked the Montecristo surrendered to the troops operating under NATO's Operation Ocean Shield, the ministry said in a statement.

The crew took refuge in a compartment in the ship and all crew members are safe, the ministry said. The captain sent a message Monday indicating that the vessel had been attacked by a ship with five armed people on board, the D'Alesio Group said in a statement.

The captain immediately activated security procedures, the statement said.

The crew included 23 people from Italy, Ukraine, and India, the D'Alesio Group said.

On the day of their release, and one day after they were captured, Italy is to start putting military guards on ships traversing the pirate-infested waters off the coast of Somalia, the Defense Ministry announced Tuesday.

Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa is signing an agreement Tuesday with the confederation of Italian ship owners to put military guards on board vessels in the area of the Indian Ocean at risk from Somali pirates, the ministry told CNN.

 Post by:
Filed under: Italy • U.S. • United Kingdom
soundoff (16 Responses)
  1. Tree

    Somalia, again!

    October 11, 2011 at 10:01 am | Report abuse |
    • steve o

      nothing going on in justice department????nice reporting cnn

      October 11, 2011 at 3:31 pm | Report abuse |
  2. pedro

    BUTT PIRATES. ARRRRRRRRR.

    October 11, 2011 at 10:10 am | Report abuse |
  3. Jenna Talia

    What's UP with these Somalian pirates? Is it any wonder people don't feel any pity for the Somalian situation?

    October 11, 2011 at 10:20 am | Report abuse |
  4. G Morweh

    Somalia is a pretty bad place. Full of rumpraangers.

    October 11, 2011 at 10:38 am | Report abuse |
  5. Irene T Estigoy

    I pity it.

    October 11, 2011 at 10:51 am | Report abuse |
  6. BOND, JAMES

    That place needa an e

    October 11, 2011 at 11:00 am | Report abuse |
  7. BOND, JAMES

    Needs colon cleanser

    October 11, 2011 at 11:00 am | Report abuse |
  8. BOND, JAMES

    Ron paul 2012

    October 11, 2011 at 11:20 am | Report abuse |
  9. banasy©

    Wonder what can be done about this, other than the obvious: stay away when boating...

    October 11, 2011 at 11:34 am | Report abuse |
  10. banasy©

    @Jenns:
    Nice name.

    October 11, 2011 at 11:35 am | Report abuse |
  11. THE ONE AND ONLY DRAKOREX1

    @BANASY© ITS PHILIP, I FOLLOW HIM ALL NITE . TOLD HIM TO BE FUNNY BE NICE CHANGE THE SUBJECT. IT ONLY LASTED A LITTLE WHILE AND SNAP HE COULDNT HANDLE IT. LOOK AT MANY OTHER POST , YOULL SEE HIS PULPIT STYLE. IM ALMOST POSITIVE!

    October 11, 2011 at 12:00 pm | Report abuse |
  12. jeff

    philip is a creepazoooid

    October 11, 2011 at 12:40 pm | Report abuse |
  13. banasy©

    @Drakorex1:
    I know it's him.

    Did you get any sleep yet?

    October 11, 2011 at 12:53 pm | Report abuse |
  14. r.ortiz

    i am glad they were freed, these pirates need a taste of their own medicine the u.s. navy should sink these bums.

    October 11, 2011 at 3:06 pm | Report abuse |
  15. THE ONE AND ONLY DRAKOREX1

    I GOT ABOUT 4 HOURS. IM GONNA SEE MY DOC IN ABOUT 3 ! WEEKS.ITS SEVERAL MEDICAL PROBLEMS, ILL TELL YOU ALL ABOUT IT SOMETIME,GOONIGHT.:)

    October 12, 2011 at 3:11 am | Report abuse |
« Back to main