Danish special forces serving as part of NATO's counter-piracy operation have freed the crew of a cargo ship boarded by pirates off Somalia.
A distress signal was received from the master of the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged Ariella on Friday, reporting that six heavily armed pirates had boarded the ship.
A NATO spokesperson told the BBC the troops moved in after being assured by the captain that the crew had locked themselves in a safe room.
It seems the pirates escaped to their boat before the soldiers arrived.
A second pirate boat in the area was seized by a Russian warship, NATO says.
