Written By Unknown on Jumat, 09 Januari 2015 | 18.46
A hostage negotiation expert has given an insight into how French authorities will be tackling the situation in Dammartin-en-Goele.
Dr James Alvarez, who has worked as a consultant for Scotland Yard and the New York Police Department, said that negotiators would be concerned with the lives of hostages - not the lives or freedom of the terrorists.
He told Sky News: "It is not likely at all that the French authorities will negotiate for the freedom of these guys. They will certainly negotiate for the life of the hostage.
"It seems likely that the French authorities will be less inclined to negotiate with them because of the very real risk they pose of hurting the hostages. I would be very surprised if there wasn't a rescue operation being planned as we speak.
"Even though these guys are a bunch of savages, the negotiators are going to be trying to calm things down...the less volatile things are, the safer it is for everybody."
Video:'They Have To Calm This Down'
He was speaking as French security services swarmed Dammartin-en-Goele, a small industrial town northeast of Paris Friday in an operation to capture a pair of heavily armed suspects in the deadly storming of a satirical newspaper.
The brothers stole a car in the early morning hours in the town, about 40km (25 miles) northeast of Paris.
French authorities are reported to have begun negotiating with Cherif Kouachi, 32, and Said Kouachi, 34, after news they are holding a hostage, just days after their attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices on Wednesday that left 12 people dead.
1/16
Gallery: Charlie Hebdo Suspects In Stand-Off
Two brothers suspected of killing 12 people at the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris have taken one person hostage as police cornered the gunmen in Dammartin-en-Goele, northeast of Paris
The Paris terror suspects are holed up at an industrial building near Charles de Gaulle airport with a hostage, and have told police they are ready to "die as martyrs".
One of the "heavily armed" Kouachi brothers turned up at the printing factory wearing black combat gear and a bulletproof vest and claimed to be a police officer. He then told a worker: "Get out of here, we don't kill civilians."
Helicopters are hovering overhead and armed police officers have flooded the area, surrounding Said and Cherif Kouachi. An army tank has been spotted nearby.
Local residents are being told to stay at home, switch off the lights, and stay away from their windows. Hundreds of people are sealed inside some local office buildings.
The two men are holed up at a building near Charles de Gaulle airport
There have been reports that two people have been killed, but Paris prosecutors insist there have been no deaths.
Police are now negotiating by phone with the two suspects, whose hostage is understood to be a woman.
Video:'They Are Ready To Die As Martyrs'
At least two planes have aborted landing attempts at the airport as the situation unfolds.
Sky's Robert Nisbet said the operation is complex and the police are moving at a deliberately slow pace.
"What we are sensing here is no panic, they are taking this very slowly indeed. This operation is complex, this is not something they want to rush."
Video:Paris Attack Chase: Road Closed
The stand-off follows a car chase on the N2 motorway earlier in which gunshots were fired between the men and police as their stolen car headed towards Paris.
Three helicopters have been hovering near the building in Dammartin-en-Goele, close to the country's busiest airport.
A close-up image of one of the helicopters shows armed police sitting at the vehicle's open door with heavy weaponry ready.
Video:Police Track Massacre Suspects
France's interior minister has confirmed that an operation to detain the suspects is under way.
In a televised statement Bernard Cazeneuve said: "An operation is under way which is set to neutralise the perpetrators of the cowardly attack carried out two days ago."
Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: "Police seem to have the situation under control and appear to be in contact - or trying to get into contact - with the two men."
Video:'They Have To Calm This Down'
Armed police are ordering members of the media to leave the area, saying the situation is too dangerous.
The brothers' grey Peugot 206 was hijacked from a woman in the town of Montagny Sainte Felicite this morning between Crepy-en-Valois and Nanteuil-le-Haudoin.
Almost 90,000 terror police across France are involved in the hunt for the men, believed to be behind Wednesday's terror attack on the headquarters of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in which 12 people died.
Video:Helicopters Land In French Village
They then fled the city and are believed to have hid overnight in an area to the northeast of the capital.
Police say the attack is now being linked to a second incident on Thursday in which a policewoman was shot dead and a council worker seriously injured.
The suspect is a known associate of Cherif, French media claims.
1/16
Gallery: Charlie Hebdo Suspects In Stand-Off
Two brothers suspected of killing 12 people at the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris have taken one person hostage as police cornered the gunmen in Dammartin-en-Goele, northeast of Paris
Eleven people have been shot dead at the headquarters of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, prosecutors confirm.
Two masked gunmen are reported to have stormed the offices of the controversial publication, which has previously been attacked over its portrayal of the Prophet Mohammed.
A bullet hole at the scene of the shooting
They are believed to have been armed with Kalashnikov rifles and a rocket-propelled grenade.
A manhunt is under for the killers, who escaped after a shootout in the street with police.
1/10
Gallery: Gunmen Attack Paris Magazine Office
Firefighters carry an injured man on a stretcher in front of the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris
A bullet's impact on the window of the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo
Charlie Hebdo, the satirical magazine attacked in Paris has been targeted over its content before.
In the early hours of November 2, 2011, the paper's office was fire-bombed shortly after an issue featuring a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed in which the religious figure was listed as "editor-in-chief".
The provocative move was not unusual for the publication, which has been poking fun at politics and religion for decades.
It was banned a year after its 1969 launch by the Minister of the Interior after mocking the media coverage of the death of former French president Charles de Gaulle.
But the paper, then known as Hara-Kiri Hebdo, changed its name to sidestep the ban.
It folded in 1981 but was reborn amid much fanfare in 1992, with the first edition selling 100,000 copies.
In 2006 the paper's front page showed a cartoon of a weeping Prophet Mohammed, and the resulting controversy boosted sales by around 60,000 copies.
The then French President, Jacques Chirac, warned that "overt provocations" to other religions should be avoided.
But it isn't just Islam that the paper has targeted.
In 2008 accusations of anti-Semitism were laid against a veteran cartoonist who was later sacked.
In September 2012, in the aftermath of attacks on US embassies in the Middle East, it published more satirical cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.
As a result, security was beefed up at several French embassies, while riot police surrounded the paper's offices to protect it.
Written By Unknown on Selasa, 06 Januari 2015 | 18.46
Father's Perilous Missions To Save Syria Jihadis
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Video:Father's Love Saves Jihadi Son
By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent
A father who rescued his own jihadi son from the clutches of Syrian rebels is now travelling back to the country to track down other young foreign fighters.
Dimitri Bontinck risked his life on a perilous 10-month quest to find his teenage son, travelling to Syria three times before the pair were eventually reunited in late 2013.
Despite the continuing danger, the former Belgian soldier is now helping other families, including some from the UK, in the search for their loved ones in the war-torn country.
Mr Bontinck told Sky News: "I have no other choice than to help those going through the same kind of trauma and nightmare I experienced."
He claims the Belgian, British and many other western governments are adding to that trauma by refusing to help in the search for those who have gone to Syria and Iraq - and for criminalising those who return from the region.
"It's so sad that parents like me and so many thousands of parents worldwide are standing alone, that nobody's helping them. It's disgusting really, it's selfish," he said.
1/25
Gallery: The Battle For Aleppo
Aleppo has been one of the cities at the centre of Syria's civil war since it began in early 2011. Here a man carries a wounded girl after an airstrike by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad
A bus blocks a road amid damage on the Salah Al-Din neighbourhood frontline
]]>
People walk amid the rubble of collapsed buildings at a site hit during a barrel bomb attack by Assad forces in the Al-Fardous neighbourhood
]]>
Members of the Civil Defence rescue children after an airstrike in the al-Shaar neighbourhood
]]>
A fighter from the Tawhid Brigade, which operates under the Free Syrian Army, fires an anti-tank missile at Assad forces
]]>
Mr Bontinck claims he approached the police and other agencies in Belgium on numerous occasions after his son Jejoen converted to Islam and later began to show signs of radicalisation.
"We asked for help from everyone, from the police, from the authorities and youth organisations ... because we see that something is going wrong, we see that it's no good for his future - and they were just watching," he said.
"The reply from all those we asked for help was the same: 'We are living in a democracy, you have freedom of speech, you have freedom of religion'. So it was very sad for us."
Jejoen Bontinck was a popular teenager in his native Antwerp, an accomplished breakdancer who appeared in a number of music videos, but according to his parents he became increasingly radical in his religious and political views and eventually ran off to join rebel groups in Syria.
After the Belgian authorities told him they were unable to help track down his son, Dimitri Bontinck took the extraordinary decision to travel to the region himself to try to find the teenager.
"I followed a father's instinct, I followed my heart. I couldn't stay here just watching, not taking action and responsibility," he said.
On repeated trips to Syria he befriended local people and many rebel fighters who helped in the search for his son. "It was a danger mission, believe me. I risked my life and met many fighting groups. At times, there were snipers above my head; bombs and attacks."
Although the vast majority of rebel fighters he met were very friendly, Dimitri said he was held captive at one point, suspected of spying. "They put a cap over my head and handcuffed me. They were beating me on the head and I was thinking 'Is it all worth it?'
Video:Finding Lost Sons In Syria
"Then another part of me thought 'I believe in my son, there is love for my son, if there is a God, they'll release me.' And they did."
On his third trip to Syria, he was reunited with his son, who he claimed was happy to return to Belgium because he realised he had been "naive" and that he "had been used" by others.
Dimitri Bontinck says he is in contact with dozens of other families and is now actively trying to help them find their loved ones.
Ozana Rodrigues, whose son ran off to fight with Islamic State in Syria more than a year ago, said Dimitri was the only person willing to help her.
In a cafe in central Antwerp, she told Sky News: "Dimitri talks to people, parents that have lost their kids - but the authorities don't want to help. They don't care and there is no support, while we're suffering."
She said Dimitri had made contact with her son Brian, but that so far, he is refusing to return home.
"When Dimitri went to Syria to get his son, I was praying to God that he would see my son and bring him back but it didn't work out that way," she said.
Although Dimitri's son is safely back in Antwerp, the 19-year-old is now at the centre of a huge terrorism trial in Belgium, one of more than 40 people being prosecuted for membership of a banned organisation.
Video:Handcuffed and Beaten
His father is deeply critical of the Belgian government's decision to prosecute.
"With this wrong attitude and stigmatisation they're creating more frustration against the West," he said.
"They're creating more violence against the West. It's totally wrong."
Despite the prospect that other young Europeans he rescues from Syria will also be prosecuted, Dimitri Bontinck said he still feels compelled to help.
"I thought I would never return to Syria, but when mothers are calling me and crying on the phone because nobody's helping them ... when they ask to meet me, I'm not going to say no," he said.
Dimitri Bontinck has now risked his life eight times travelling to Syria. He has just returned from his latest trip there and says he plans to return to the region again in the weeks ahead.
:: Watch the full report on Sky News at 2.30pm, 4.30pm and 8.30pm, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202 and Freeview 132.
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Father's Perilous Missions To Save Syria Jihadis
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Father's Love Saves Jihadi Son
By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent
A father who rescued his own jihadi son from the clutches of Syrian rebels is now travelling back to the country to track down other young foreign fighters.
Dimitri Bontinck risked his life on a perilous 10-month quest to find his teenage son, travelling to Syria three times before the pair were eventually reunited in late 2013.
Despite the continuing danger, the former Belgian soldier is now helping other families, including some from the UK, in the search for their loved ones in the war-torn country.
Mr Bontinck told Sky News: "I have no other choice than to help those going through the same kind of trauma and nightmare I experienced."
He claims the Belgian, British and many other western governments are adding to that trauma by refusing to help in the search for those who have gone to Syria and Iraq - and for criminalising those who return from the region.
"It's so sad that parents like me and so many thousands of parents worldwide are standing alone, that nobody's helping them. It's disgusting really, it's selfish," he said.
1/25
Gallery: The Battle For Aleppo
Aleppo has been one of the cities at the centre of Syria's civil war since it began in early 2011. Here a man carries a wounded girl after an airstrike by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad
A bus blocks a road amid damage on the Salah Al-Din neighbourhood frontline
]]>
People walk amid the rubble of collapsed buildings at a site hit during a barrel bomb attack by Assad forces in the Al-Fardous neighbourhood
]]>
Members of the Civil Defence rescue children after an airstrike in the al-Shaar neighbourhood
]]>
A fighter from the Tawhid Brigade, which operates under the Free Syrian Army, fires an anti-tank missile at Assad forces
]]>
Mr Bontinck claims he approached the police and other agencies in Belgium on numerous occasions after his son Jejoen converted to Islam and later began to show signs of radicalisation.
"We asked for help from everyone, from the police, from the authorities and youth organisations ... because we see that something is going wrong, we see that it's no good for his future - and they were just watching," he said.
"The reply from all those we asked for help was the same: 'We are living in a democracy, you have freedom of speech, you have freedom of religion'. So it was very sad for us."
Jejoen Bontinck was a popular teenager in his native Antwerp, an accomplished breakdancer who appeared in a number of music videos, but according to his parents he became increasingly radical in his religious and political views and eventually ran off to join rebel groups in Syria.
After the Belgian authorities told him they were unable to help track down his son, Dimitri Bontinck took the extraordinary decision to travel to the region himself to try to find the teenager.
"I followed a father's instinct, I followed my heart. I couldn't stay here just watching, not taking action and responsibility," he said.
On repeated trips to Syria he befriended local people and many rebel fighters who helped in the search for his son. "It was a danger mission, believe me. I risked my life and met many fighting groups. At times, there were snipers above my head; bombs and attacks."
Although the vast majority of rebel fighters he met were very friendly, Dimitri said he was held captive at one point, suspected of spying. "They put a cap over my head and handcuffed me. They were beating me on the head and I was thinking 'Is it all worth it?'
Video:Finding Lost Sons In Syria
"Then another part of me thought 'I believe in my son, there is love for my son, if there is a God, they'll release me.' And they did."
On his third trip to Syria, he was reunited with his son, who he claimed was happy to return to Belgium because he realised he had been "naive" and that he "had been used" by others.
Dimitri Bontinck says he is in contact with dozens of other families and is now actively trying to help them find their loved ones.
Ozana Rodrigues, whose son ran off to fight with Islamic State in Syria more than a year ago, said Dimitri was the only person willing to help her.
In a cafe in central Antwerp, she told Sky News: "Dimitri talks to people, parents that have lost their kids - but the authorities don't want to help. They don't care and there is no support, while we're suffering."
She said Dimitri had made contact with her son Brian, but that so far, he is refusing to return home.
"When Dimitri went to Syria to get his son, I was praying to God that he would see my son and bring him back but it didn't work out that way," she said.
Although Dimitri's son is safely back in Antwerp, the 19-year-old is now at the centre of a huge terrorism trial in Belgium, one of more than 40 people being prosecuted for membership of a banned organisation.
Video:Handcuffed and Beaten
His father is deeply critical of the Belgian government's decision to prosecute.
"With this wrong attitude and stigmatisation they're creating more frustration against the West," he said.
"They're creating more violence against the West. It's totally wrong."
Despite the prospect that other young Europeans he rescues from Syria will also be prosecuted, Dimitri Bontinck said he still feels compelled to help.
"I thought I would never return to Syria, but when mothers are calling me and crying on the phone because nobody's helping them ... when they ask to meet me, I'm not going to say no," he said.
Dimitri Bontinck has now risked his life eight times travelling to Syria. He has just returned from his latest trip there and says he plans to return to the region again in the weeks ahead.
:: Watch the full report on Sky News at 2.30pm, 4.30pm and 8.30pm, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202 and Freeview 132.
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Breaking News: A&E Waiting Times Are Worst For 10 Years
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Lights Go Out With German Protests
Around 18,000 people have taken part in an anti-Islam rally in the German city of Dresden despite a plea by Chancellor Angela Merkel to reject the growing protests, which she has branded racist.
While the demonstration was the biggest so far, similar far-right rallies held in other German cities have been met by much bigger counter-protests.
Lights around the country were switched off in protest at the anti-immigrant demonstrations - monuments in Dresden were thrown into darkness along with Cologne Cathedral and Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.
Cologne Cathedral was plunged into darkness
The rapidly expanding grassroots movement Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA) has unsettled the country's political establishment in recent months with its weekly rallies in Dresden.
The protests have continued to grow from an initial few hundred people in October.
1/14
Gallery: Rival Rallies Over Islam In Germany
Around 18,000 people have taken part in an anti-Islam rally in Dresden - the biggest turnout for the protests, which have become a weekly event in the German city
The demonstrations have continued to grow despite a plea by Chancellor Angela Merkel
]]>
The grassroots movement Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA) has unsettled the country's political establishment
]]>
But similar anti-immigration rallies in Berlin and the western city of Cologne were heavily outnumbered by counter-protesters
]]>
Protesters waved the German flag and brandished posters bearing slogans such as "Respect and tolerance for our people too" and "Against religious fanaticism"
]]>
On Monday, protesters waved the German flag and brandished posters bearing slogans such as "Respect and tolerance for our people too" and "Against religious fanaticism" while chanting, "We are the people", a saying originally adopted by anti-communist demonstrators in the run-up to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
In Berlin, about 300 protesters were met with 5,000 counter-demonstrators marching with flags from the main left-wing parties.
And in Cologne, there were around 10 times as many people protesting against the anti-Muslim demonstrators.
In her New Year address last week, Ms Merkel urged Germans to turn their backs on anti-Muslim protesters, calling them racists whose hearts are full of hatred.
1/11
Gallery: Dec: German Anti-Islam Rally Attracts Record Numbers
Thousands of anti-Islam protesters at a Dresden rally on 17 December.
The rallies are being organised by a group called 'Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident' or PEGIDA
]]>
Speaking in the eastern town of Neustrelitz on Monday, she said: "We need to ... say that right-wing extremism, hostility towards foreigners and anti-Semitism should not be allowed any place in our society."
Justice minister Heiko Maas said at the Berlin counter-demonstration: "Germany is a country where refugees are welcome and the silent majority must not remain silent but rather go out onto the streets and show itself."
Germany has some of the world's most liberal asylum rules, partly due to its Nazi past, and the number of asylum seekers arriving in the country leapt to around 200,000 last year - four times as many as in 2012.
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German Anti-Islam Rally Hits Record Number
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Lights Go Out With German Protests
Around 18,000 people have taken part in an anti-Islam rally in the German city of Dresden despite a plea by Chancellor Angela Merkel to reject the growing protests, which she has branded racist.
While the demonstration was the biggest so far, similar far-right rallies held in other German cities have been met by much bigger counter-protests.
Lights around the country were switched off in protest at the anti-immigrant demonstrations - monuments in Dresden were thrown into darkness along with Cologne Cathedral and Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.
Cologne Cathedral was plunged into darkness
The rapidly expanding grassroots movement Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA) has unsettled the country's political establishment in recent months with its weekly rallies in Dresden.
The protests have continued to grow from an initial few hundred people in October.
1/14
Gallery: Rival Rallies Over Islam In Germany
Around 18,000 people have taken part in an anti-Islam rally in Dresden - the biggest turnout for the protests, which have become a weekly event in the German city
The demonstrations have continued to grow despite a plea by Chancellor Angela Merkel
]]>
The grassroots movement Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA) has unsettled the country's political establishment
]]>
But similar anti-immigration rallies in Berlin and the western city of Cologne were heavily outnumbered by counter-protesters
]]>
Protesters waved the German flag and brandished posters bearing slogans such as "Respect and tolerance for our people too" and "Against religious fanaticism"
]]>
On Monday, protesters waved the German flag and brandished posters bearing slogans such as "Respect and tolerance for our people too" and "Against religious fanaticism" while chanting, "We are the people", a saying originally adopted by anti-communist demonstrators in the run-up to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
In Berlin, about 300 protesters were met with 5,000 counter-demonstrators marching with flags from the main left-wing parties.
And in Cologne, there were around 10 times as many people protesting against the anti-Muslim demonstrators.
In her New Year address last week, Ms Merkel urged Germans to turn their backs on anti-Muslim protesters, calling them racists whose hearts are full of hatred.
1/11
Gallery: Dec: German Anti-Islam Rally Attracts Record Numbers
Thousands of anti-Islam protesters at a Dresden rally on 17 December.
The rallies are being organised by a group called 'Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident' or PEGIDA
]]>
Speaking in the eastern town of Neustrelitz on Monday, she said: "We need to ... say that right-wing extremism, hostility towards foreigners and anti-Semitism should not be allowed any place in our society."
Justice minister Heiko Maas said at the Berlin counter-demonstration: "Germany is a country where refugees are welcome and the silent majority must not remain silent but rather go out onto the streets and show itself."
Germany has some of the world's most liberal asylum rules, partly due to its Nazi past, and the number of asylum seekers arriving in the country leapt to around 200,000 last year - four times as many as in 2012.
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In September 1989, a popular movement against the communist government of the German Democratic Republic began with a few hundred people gathering in a small church square in Leipzig.
The weekly protests gathered momentum across East Germany and within six weeks an estimated 300,000 took part, many waving banners proclaiming "We Are The People!".
It was called the "quiet earthquake" which helped demolish the Berlin Wall and defrost the Cold War.
Now the same device of a weekly, after work, silent show of strength is being employed by another movement in Germany.
They call themselves Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of The West or PEGIDA and have seen their support mushroom in a matter of weeks.
Video:Lights Go Out With German Protests
The group has become a lightning rod for disaffection: from older voters who think Germany's culture is being warped by immigration to shadowy far right agitators, an unpleasant reminder of Germany's Nazi past.
On Monday night, across the country those attending anti-PEGIDA rallies in Cologne and Berlin far outnumbered their foes, but it does still present an uncomfortable political moment for the Teflon Chancellor, Angela Merkel.
She appealed for tolerance in her New Year's message in uncharacteristically blunt terms, but the level of immigration is undoubtedly stretching resources in certain areas, especially in the east.
Some 200,000 asylum seekers came to Germany last year, up 80% on the previous year. That's considerably more than any other EU country.
And while economically prudent Germans (and there are many) know that the country's ageing demographic means immigration is essential to restore growth, the spotlight has fallen on the typical kind of newcomer.
Many of the immigrants from outside the EU are fleeing the violence in Syria and are mostly young and Muslim. A recent poll suggests a third of Germans believe they are skewing the country's culture to Islam.
1/11
Gallery: Dec: German Anti-Islam Rally Attracts Record Numbers
Thousands of anti-Islam protesters at a Dresden rally on 17 December.
The rallies are being organised by a group called 'Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident' or PEGIDA
Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 03 Januari 2015 | 18.46
Abandoned Migrant Ship Reaches Italian Port
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Video:Coastguard Rescue Stranded Migrants
A dramatic rescue mission to bring an abandoned cargo ship carrying hundreds of migrants under control has been carried out by the Italian Air Force.
Six coastguard officers were airlifted aboard the ship after stormy seas made it impossible to reach the runaway vessel by boat.
They took control of the Sierra-Leone-flagged ship, the Ezadeen, which was abandoned by people traffickers as it headed towards the southern tip of Italy.
It is the second ship of its kind to be abandoned at sea in several days.
Rescue pilot Francesco Pastore told Sky News: "The mission was very difficult due to the conditions."
1/8
Gallery: An Italian Coast Guard Patrol Plane Spotted The Vessel
The Ezadeen cargo ship was stopped by Italian authorities after smugglers sent it speeding toward the coast in rough seas with nobody at the helm
The Sierra Leone-flagged vessel was towed to the Italian port of Corigliano after coastguard officials were lowered onto the ship by helicopter to secure it.
]]>
Around 450 migrants were on board the ship, which apparently set sail from Turkey
]]>
The 197ft-long ship was rescued floating around 40 miles off Capo di Leuca
]]>
Most of the migrants were believed to be from war-ravaged Syria, Italian Coast Guard Commander Filippo Marini said
]]>
The ship was towed by an Icelandic Coast Guard ship to Italy and arrived at the port of Corigliano hours later.
The 197ft-long ship, which was carrying pregnant women and children, mostly thought to be fleeing Syria, was rescued floating around 40 miles off Capo di Leuca.
Coastguard Commander Filippo Marini said one of the migrants on board was able to operate the ship's radio and pleaded for help saying: "We're without crew, we're heading toward the Italian coast and we have no one to steer."
Video:Rescue Pilot At The Scene
Before losing power, the ship had been moving at a brisk seven knots and had been spotted by a coastguard plane 80 miles offshore shortly after nightfall on Thursday.
The coastguard asked for assistance from Icelandic patrol boat Tyr, which was in the area on a mission with Frontex, the European Union's border agency.
The Tyr was able to draw alongside the runaway ship, but initially the weather conditions made boarding impossible.
Video:Migrant Ship Abandoned At Sea
The drama comes two days after Italian sailors intercepted an unmanned freighter carrying more than 700 mostly Syrian migrants that had been heading for the rocks in Italy's Puglia region.
The Moldovan-registered Blue Sky M cargo ship got to within five miles of a disaster before six navy officers were lowered on to the ship by helicopter and succeeded in bringing it under control.
The vessel's human cargo included 60 children and two pregnant women, one of whom gave birth on board, according to the Italian Red Cross.
Video:December - Migrants In Danger
Many of the migrants on the ship were treated for hypothermia and broken limbs.
More than 170,000 people have been rescued by Italy in the last 14 months and it is estimated that hundreds, possibly thousands, have perished trying to make the crossing.
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Abandoned Migrant Ship Reaches Italian Port
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Coastguard Rescue Stranded Migrants
A dramatic rescue mission to bring an abandoned cargo ship carrying hundreds of migrants under control has been carried out by the Italian Air Force.
Six coastguard officers were airlifted aboard the ship after stormy seas made it impossible to reach the runaway vessel by boat.
They took control of the Sierra-Leone-flagged ship, the Ezadeen, which was abandoned by people traffickers as it headed towards the southern tip of Italy.
It is the second ship of its kind to be abandoned at sea in several days.
Rescue pilot Francesco Pastore told Sky News: "The mission was very difficult due to the conditions."
1/8
Gallery: An Italian Coast Guard Patrol Plane Spotted The Vessel
The Ezadeen cargo ship was stopped by Italian authorities after smugglers sent it speeding toward the coast in rough seas with nobody at the helm
The Sierra Leone-flagged vessel was towed to the Italian port of Corigliano after coastguard officials were lowered onto the ship by helicopter to secure it.
]]>
Around 450 migrants were on board the ship, which apparently set sail from Turkey
]]>
The 197ft-long ship was rescued floating around 40 miles off Capo di Leuca
]]>
Most of the migrants were believed to be from war-ravaged Syria, Italian Coast Guard Commander Filippo Marini said
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The ship was towed by an Icelandic Coast Guard ship to Italy and arrived at the port of Corigliano hours later.
The 197ft-long ship, which was carrying pregnant women and children, mostly thought to be fleeing Syria, was rescued floating around 40 miles off Capo di Leuca.
Coastguard Commander Filippo Marini said one of the migrants on board was able to operate the ship's radio and pleaded for help saying: "We're without crew, we're heading toward the Italian coast and we have no one to steer."
Video:Rescue Pilot At The Scene
Before losing power, the ship had been moving at a brisk seven knots and had been spotted by a coastguard plane 80 miles offshore shortly after nightfall on Thursday.
The coastguard asked for assistance from Icelandic patrol boat Tyr, which was in the area on a mission with Frontex, the European Union's border agency.
The Tyr was able to draw alongside the runaway ship, but initially the weather conditions made boarding impossible.
Video:Migrant Ship Abandoned At Sea
The drama comes two days after Italian sailors intercepted an unmanned freighter carrying more than 700 mostly Syrian migrants that had been heading for the rocks in Italy's Puglia region.
The Moldovan-registered Blue Sky M cargo ship got to within five miles of a disaster before six navy officers were lowered on to the ship by helicopter and succeeded in bringing it under control.
The vessel's human cargo included 60 children and two pregnant women, one of whom gave birth on board, according to the Italian Red Cross.
Video:December - Migrants In Danger
Many of the migrants on the ship were treated for hypothermia and broken limbs.
More than 170,000 people have been rescued by Italy in the last 14 months and it is estimated that hundreds, possibly thousands, have perished trying to make the crossing.
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