The DO still kill pirates!

Photo of the Somali pirates taken shortly before their surrender to Royal Navy Marines

Ah! Finally, some actual Royal-Navy-on-Pirate action! Some real Pirates of the Caribbean-type shit. In a welcome change from the recent "disinterested observer" approach to pirate fighting off Somalia, the Royal Navy frigate, HMS Cumberland, took more of a "pirate fighting" approach to pirate fighting.

Story and links after the break...

Early yesterday, a vessel had opened fire with assault rifles on a Danish-registered cargo ship, the MV Powerful. The offending vessel was later spotted and identified by the Cumberland, who dispatched two assault craft manned by squads of marines to
investigate:

The Ministry of Defence said the Marines circled the pirates’ boat to try and persuade them to stop.

As they approached, however, several of the pirates, a mixed crew of Somalis and Yemenis, swung their assault rifles in their direction and opened fire. The MoD said the Royal Marines returned fire “in self defence”, and then boarded the dhow — a stolen Yemeni-registered fishing vessel.

The commandos found guns and other “paraphernalia” on board the dhow and a handful of terrified pirates.

Three pirates suffered fatal injuries. This water battle stands in stark contrast to the Royal Navy's last middle eastern encounter when similar assault craft were surrounded and captured by Iranian gunboats last March.