A group of pirates got a nasty surprise when they attacked a merchant ship - that turned out to be a German naval vessel.
The pirates fired at the FGS Spessart in the Gulf of Aden, under the impression they were striking a commercial carrier but were met with return fire from German sailors.
The German naval ship then pursued the pirate boat along with other vessels including Greek, Dutch and Spanish naval ships as well as a Spanish marine aircraft and US marine choppers.
A Nato spokesman said: "Poor judgment by the pirates turned out to be a real opportunity for seven nations representing three task forces to work together and strike a momentous blow for maritime safety and security."
After five hours of pursuit, Greek sailors reached the pirates, boarded their boat and seized their weapons.
The seven pirates on the ship were transferred onto the German frigate Rheinland-Pfalz and Nato says they will remain there until a decision has been made about prosecution.German Ministry spokesman Christian Dienst said the attack "showcased the incredible international naval capabilities" and "highlighted the complexity of counter-piracy operations".
Somali pirates currently hold 11 ships hostage, with the oldest pirate hijacking dating back to last August.
The expanse between Somalia and Yemen is one of the world's busiest waterways with thousands of ships passing through each year.
Pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia hit unprecedented levels in 2008 with 111 incidents and 42 seized vessels.
Seven ships have been seized so far this year, although roughly 10 times as many attacks took place in January and February 2009 compared with the same period last year.
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