NATO warship rescued two sailors escaped from hijacked vessel

31.01.2011 Two sailors from containership Beluga Nomination captured by pirates in the Arabian Sea managed to escape on lifeboats; servicemen from NATO warship found and rescued them, reports Associated Press.

It was reported last Monday that German-flagged containership Beluga Nomination had been hijacked by pirates 100 km off Seychelles. According to Ukrainian foreign ministry, the 12-man crew consists of citizens of Ukraine, Russia, Philippines, and Poland.

As was reported by NATO task force in the Arabian Sea, two sailors – a Ukrainian and a Filipino – spent two days on a lifeboat in high sea until Danish ship Esbern Snare found them on Friday.

Other crewmen of the captured cargo ship are still on board the vessel currently anchored off Somalia, says the report.

Somali pirates are considered the main threat to global maritime shipping. In 2010 they managed to hijack 27 vessels with 544 sailors on board. Somali cannot get through the problem of piracy because it ceased to exist as a united country as early as in 1991 after downfall of dictatorship of Mohammed Siad Barre who had been governing the country since late 60's.

Anti-piracy campaign off Somali is carried out under EUNAVFOR – Operation Atalanta launched in 2008 and NATO Operation Ocean Shield started in 2009. Apart from a top-priority objective – anti-piracy warfare – the latter operation also implies assistance to regional states in development of own anti-piracy efforts. Russian warships also participate in maritime security operations.