The cargo ship Xiang-huamen came under pirate attack Friday and was captured just 20 nautical miles off the coast of the Iranian port of Chabahar. Upon receiving news of the hijacking, the Chinese embassy contacted the Iranian Foreign Ministry seeking help.
The pirates did not seem very fearful of the Iranian Navy to be operating that close to the coast.
The Iranian Navy dispatched two warships that arrived later that afternoon at the site of the hijacking. They were greatly aided by the quick-thinking Chinese crew, which had disabled its engine to prevent it from being taken to Somalia.
The ship’s captain, who was not named, told China National Radio, “I talked with the chief mate and chief engineer. We agreed that we couldn’t let the pirates take the ship to Somalia, as it would take a long time for us and the ship to be rescued. So we cut off the power and the ship stopped.”
The pirates, nine in all, had approached the ship in swift boats and used their own ladders to board it. Once in control of the ship, the pirates ordered the crew to steer the ship towards Somalia, Yu Hongyang, the Chinese ambassador to Iran, told Xinhua, the Chinese national news agency.
The pirates were enraged to find their new possession stranded in the middle of the ocean. They beat some of the crew, but no one was badly hurt.
The captain and five other members of the crew later slipped overboard and swam about two miles to the Iranian warships, informing them about what was happening on the boat.
The Iranian Navy fired warning shots over the hijacked ship. But at least one shot hit the ship. One Chinese crewmember was slightly injured when a shell ricocheted into him.
Outgunned by the Iranian Navy, the pirates threw their weapons into the water and surrendered the boat.
The rescue operation was completed less than 10 hours after the ship was hijacked, according to Ambassador Yu.
A happy delegation from the Chinese embassy later boarded the ship to greet the crew members, bringing them fruit, vegetables and pistachios and helping them speak to their families via satellite phone. Ambassador Yu, who was heading the delegation, praised the intelligence and bravery of the crew.
Iranian authorities, meanwhile, praised their forces triumphantly. “Through the successful mission of Iranian naval forces, the ship was released and nine pirates were arrested,” Iranian port official Saeed Izadian told Fars news agency.
The Chinese ambassador later conveyed the gratitude of his government for the successful action of the Iranian Navy.
The ship’s engine is now under repair, but the ship is expected to be taken to the Iranian port of Jask.
This is the second successful rescue mission by the Iranian Navy within a week. The Armis, laden with cargo from South Africa, was hijacked by Somali pirates March 26. Iranian commandoes started clashing with the pirates the morning of March 30.
Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari described that battle with Hollywood drama, saying the operation took 48 hours to complete, of which 36 were spent fighting “man-to-man” on board the ship. The battle, he said, killed two non-Iranians and wounded an Iranian crew member.
Twelve pirates were arrested in that operation and nine were arrested when the Chinese vessel was rescued. These are the first Somali pirates that Iran has ever announced arresting over two years of frequent claims of rescuing merchant vessels from pirates. Iran has not said what it will do with the 21 pirates.