In a phone call to his Dutch counterpart Maxime Verhagen, German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle thanked the Netherlands for rescuing a cargo ship that had been boarded by pirates off the Somali coast.

During the rescue operation, 10 pirates were arrested. and transferred to the Dutch frigate HMS Tromp. The 13 crew members of the German ship Taipan were unharmed.

‘My German colleague praised our navy for its courageous and effective action,’ said Mr Verhagen. ‘He also inquired about the health of the Dutch sailor who was slightly injured during the operation.’

On Monday morning, HMS Tromp received a distress signal from the German ship. When the pirates refused to surrender, the Dutch sailors took action. The Taipan was able to continue its voyage.



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