A Turkish ship that was attacked by armed stowaways was secured by security forces off the southern city of Naples, the Italian defense minister said Friday. “The ship’s hijackers have been captured. All ended well,” Guido Crosetto wrote on Twitter and congratulated security forces taking part in the operation to regain control of the ship. Crosetto told reporters earlier that stowaways, who he described as a group of illegal immigrants with “dagger-type weapons,” took control of the Turkish-flagged Galata Seaways ro-ro ship, which was sailing from Türkiye’s Yalova province to the French port of Sete. Following the operation by two Navy helicopters, coast guard personnel and customs police, control of the ship was regained off Naples. Türkiye’s General Directorate of Maritime Affairs (DGM) said relevant authorities were alerted at 11.20 a.m. local Turkish time that 15 stowaways with dagger-type knives were detected onboard. The crew locked them in safe areas to secure themselves. Following evaluations, Turkish authorities contacted Italian and French authorities, and upon the request of the ship’s company and approval from Rome, it was decided that the ship sailed toward Naples, the DGM said in the statement. Later, sharing images from the ship’s security cameras, the DGM announced on Twitter that Italian security forces regained control of the ship and rescued the crew. Marines dropped onto the vessel from helicopters after a number of “stowaways” used knives to threaten the crew. The Italian Defense Ministry told AFP the aggressors appeared to be migrants, though their nationalities were unknown. The ship was the Galata Seaways, a roll-on roll-off cargo ship — designed to carry vehicles — sailing under a Turkish flag with reportedly 22 crew members. Some 15 stowaways had boarded the ship in Turkey, in the hope of reaching Europe, but were discovered by the crew, the Repubblica daily said. “The migrants tried to take some of the crew hostage inside the bridge,” ANSA news agency reported. The drama unfolded as the ship — some 200 meters long and 20 meters wide — was sailing in Italian waters, near the island of Ischia. The captain managed to radio for help, sending an urgent request to Ankara, which then alerted the Italian authorities, according to reports. After special forces stormed the ship, some of the stowaways were arrested but others “barricaded themselves in the depths of the hold,” the Repubblica said. “The ship is very big and it is not difficult to hide,” Crosetto told a television show. “When they heard the helicopter, (some of the stowaways) ran, then probably tried to escape by sea in the dark. Italy’s marines “had to take control of the ship, and they did so in a very short time,” he said, adding the crew was safe. The Italian Ministry said coast guard and financial police boats were also involved in the operation. The cargo ship was escorted towards Naples and anchored just outside the port, where there was a heavy police presence, local media reported. — Agencies