According to the captain of the Spanish fishing boat private security guards aboard a tuna fishing vessel repelled an attack from pirates in the Indian Ocean on Sunday. Captain Santi Gamboa described the incident on Spanish national radio how the crew of the boat, the Txori Argi, had seen several skiffs heading towards them from a mother ship.
He told that the fearful incident was about 80 nautical miles off the coast of the Seychelles, part of an area of the Indian Ocean that has seen dozens of attacks on passing ships, several of which have been seized for ransom. Another Spanish vessel, the Alakrana, was taken hostage last year. The ship was under pirate custody along with its 36 crew for more than a month off the coats of Somalia.
To beat the heat of the Somali pirate French vessels who are protected by French Marines. But Madrid allows private security guards to board the vessel to counter attack the pirates. But the Spanish boats do not carry soldiers when they travel through the dangerous area. Now Madrid allows private security guards to carry weapons on the vessels to protect the boats.
