Minister Joel Morgan, who heads the High-level Committee on Piracy, said this in a press conference which was also attended by the Chief of Defence Forces Brigadier Leopold Payet and Major Georges Adeline, who is at the moment in charge of the coast guard.

“The Topaz was on its way to Mahe after a successful mission to rescue six Seychellois hostages and 21 Iranian hostages from a large dhow commandeered by Somali pirates,” said Mr Morgan.

“One pirate mother ship and two pirate skiffs approached at 4am and opened fire on the Topaz.”

Mr Morgan said when the coastguards returned fire, one attack skiff was sunk and the mother ship exploded and caught fire. The other skiff managed to escape.

The Topaz, he said, returned to its initial course for Port Victoria after dealing with the attack, having taken the decision that the priority was to return the freed hostages home safely and not to risk the lives of the civilians on board by hunting for the other skiff.
 
He said the fate of the pirates on all three vessels is unknown.

Mr Morgan confirmed that during the operation to rescue the sailors, one Iranian was injured and later taken to Victoria hospital where he arrived early yesterday.

“The evacuation method we used for the medical emergency was not adequate for all the sailors, and that’s why we did not bring them along too,” he said.

He added that the Topaz was delayed by the diversion and also slowed down because it was towing the fishing boat Galate. That is why it will arrive only today and not yesterday, as earlier expected.

Mr Morgan said the pirates who attacked the Topaz seemingly did so mistaking it for a cargo ship and not in retaliation for the coastguard vessel’s attack on the first group of pirates.
 
He also said it is unlikely that the pirates who were escorted out of our exclusive economic zone recently are the ones who attacked the Galate, because the attack happened many miles south-east of Mahe while the Somalis were escorted towards the north-west.

He said there are many pirates all over and asked fishermen not to sail too far away from Mahe to make it easier for the coastguard to rescue them if they get into difficulties with pirates.

BrigPayet commended the soldiers on board the Topaz, saying the Andromache was in port and not out on patrol so as to respond to any emergency that might arise.

He said the two vessels form an adequate response to any pirate threats, but a third vessel would be welcome.

Brig Payet said foreign forces have been helping the coast guard with information but none was involved in repulsing yesterday morning’s attack, during which the rescued fishermen were in their cabins on the Topaz.

“We have the means and necessary training to do a good job of defending our waters,” he said.

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