Dutch military captures 13 pirates off Oman coast

The Dutch Defense Ministry says its navy captured 13 pirates off the coast of Oman after they attacked a merchant marine ship.

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AMSTERDAM // The Dutch Defense Ministry said its navy has captured 13 pirates off the coast of Oman after they attacked a merchant marine ship. It said the pirates used speedboats and guns and tried to board the Antigua-flagged BBC Togo, but were repelled. They then returned to a larger fishing boat where a Dutch frigate captured them yesterday evening, 240 kilometres south of Salalah. The Dutch seized machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, ammunition and boarding hooks.

The pirates are being held on the HMS Evertsen and may be turned over to Kenya or the Seychelles for prosecution, the ministry said today. The Evertsen is leading an EU naval force in the region to protect food shipments to Somalia and combat piracy. * AP