Iran detains British sailors in Iraq waters

Fifteen British sailors carrying out a routine inspection in the Persian Gulf were captured at gunpoint...

Fifteen British sailors carrying out a routine inspection in the Persian Gulf were captured at gunpoint and taken into custody by Iranian forces on Friday morning, the British Ministry of Defence said. The Foreign Secretary, Margaret Beckett, summoned the Iranian ambassador here to demand their immediate release.

In a statement, the Defence Ministry said the sailors had been conducting 8220;routine boarding operations of merchant shipping in Iraqi territorial waters8221; and had just finished an inspection of a merchant vessel 8220;when they and their two boats were surrounded and escorted by Iranian vessels into Iranian territorial waters8221;.

The statement continued: 8220;The British Government is demanding the immediate and safe return of our people and equipment.8221; The sailors were from the HMS Cornwall, a British Type 22 frigate. Commodore Nick Lambert, the Cornwall8217;s commanding officer, told the BBC that he hoped the incident was the result of a 8220;simple misunderstanding at the tactical level8221;.

8220;There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that they were in Iraqi territorial waters,8221; Commodore Lambert said of the British sailors. 8220;Equally, the Iranians may claim they were in Iranian waters.8221; He added the two British boats had apparently been moved to Iranian bases, but that there was no evidence that there had been any fighting. He also said that the sailors appeared to be safe, and that they had behaved in an 8220;extremely professional way, in line with the rules of engagement8221;, the BBC said.

Ian Pannell, a BBC News correspondent aboard the Cornwall, reported that the confrontation took place just after the British sailors had boarded and inspected a small merchant vessel known as a dhow, a type in common use in the Gulf.

8220;While they were on board, a number of Iranian boats approached the waters in which they were operating. The Royal Navy are insistent they were operating in Iraqi waters and not Iranian waters,8221; Parnell said.

8212;SARAH LYALL

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