Information Media sources said today that the Malaysian special forces belonging to the Malaysian army, freed 23 of the crew of oil tanker "MT Bunga Laurel " in the Gulf of Aden and detained seven Somali pirates after an armed confrontation. Meanwhile, the Associated Press quoted Royal Malaysian Navy as saying its commandos wounded three pirates in a gun battle and rescued the 23 crew members on the Malaysian-flagged chemical tanker MT Bunga Laurel early Friday, shortly after the pirates stormed the vessel in the Gulf of Aden with assault rifles and pistols. Malaysia's navy said it sent a ship and a helicopter to the Bunga Laurel, which was then 14 miles (22 kilometers) away, after crew members locked themselves in a safe room and activated a distress call Friday morning. Elite security forces managed to board the ship and overpower the pirates after an exchange of gunfire, it said in a statement. No one in the rescue team or the ship's crew was injured. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said he was informed that seven pirates were captured.
