'Pirates' On Turkish Cargo Ship Off Italy: Rome

Rome, June 9 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Jun, 2023 ) :Italian special forces boarded a cargo ship sailing from Turkey to France on Friday after the crew were threatened by "pirates" off the Italian coast, the defence ministry said.

"An operation is underway on a vessel boarded by pirates... The stowaways were using what seem to be weapons like daggers" to threaten the crew, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto told reporters.

Marines boarded the ship off Naples after the group, "allegedly migrants, threatened the crew with knives," a ministry press officer told.

Special forces have since regained control of the ship, but a search was underway for some of the stowaways, the press officer said.

The ship was the Galata Seaways, a roll-on roll-off cargo ship -- designed to carry vehicles -- sailing under a Turkish flag with 22 crew members, according to Italian media reports.

It set off from Topcular in Turkey on June 7 and was headed for Sete in southern France, the reports said.

An as yet unknown number of stowaways had boarded the ship in Turkey, in the hope of reaching Europe, but were discovered by the crew, the Repubblica daily said.

"The migrants tried to take some of the crew hostages inside the bridge," ANSA news agency said.

The captain of the ship managed to radio for help, sending an urgent request to Ankara, it said.

After special forces stormed the ship, some of the stowaways were arrested but others "barricaded themselves in the depths of the hold," the Repubblica said.