Ship sunk by India was hijacked fishing trawler

A maritime official said today that a ship sunk by the Indian navy last week near Somalia was a Thai fishing trawler that had been hijacked by pirates.

Noel Choong of the International Maritime Bureau in Malaysia said one Thai crew member died when the boat was sunk Nov. 18, 14 remain missing and one was rescued four days later by passing fishermen.

In New Delhi, Indian navy spokesman Cmdr. Nirad Sinha defended naval ship Tabar’s action. “Both its description and its intent were that of a pirate ship,” he said.

“Only after we were fired upon did we fire. We fired in self-defense. There were gun-toting guys with [rocket-propelled grenades] on it.”