Ghanaian forces rescue 71 fishermen after sea bandit attack

ACCRA, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- A combined team of the Ghana Navy, Ghana Air Force, and local fishermen on Thursday rescued 71 fishermen who became stranded on the high seas after coming under severe armed attack by suspected sea bandits, a press release has said.

The statement by the Ghana Armed Forces said that the rescue operation launched in the early hours of Thursday, about 35 nautical miles off Ghana's coast, came to a successful end with the rescue of all 71 stranded fishermen.

"The fishermen became stranded after they were attacked by robbers who dispossessed them of their outboard motors and personal belongings," the armed forces said.

The rescue team deployed a special boat squadron with swift interceptors, supported by other naval vessels and the Ghana Air Force.

The statement said the Ghana Navy continues to patrol the West African country's exclusive economic zone, urging fishermen and maritime users to exercise extreme caution and report any suspicious activity as the current incident is being investigated. ■