Spanish navy arrests two Somali pirates at sea

Source: reuters

Sun Oct 4, 2009 3:05pm EDT

MADRID, Oct 4 (Reuters) - The Spanish navy arrested two pirates on Sunday from a Somali gang which hijacked a Spanish tuna-fishing vessel in the Indian Ocean last week, state radio RNE said.

Spain dispatched the naval vessel "Canarias" on Friday after discovering that the "Alakrana", with 36 crew on board, had been captured while fishing off the coast of Somalia. [ID:nL2127916]

General Jaime Dominguez said a navy helicopter intercepted a skiff in which two of the pirates were trying to make their way ashore from the "Alakrana", which was anchored 135 nautical miles off the Somali coast.

"During the arrest, and as a consequence of a threatening response by one of the pirates, the latter was lightly wounded," Dominguez told RNE.

"We will not do anything that might put the wellbeing of the fishermen at risk," he added.

RNE added that High Court Judge Baltasar Garzon had charged the two men with terrorism and kidnapping. (Reporting by Martin Roberts)