<p><br /> British sailors have freed five hostages who were held captive by Somali pirates for three months.<br /> </p><p><br /> A naval boarding party from HMS Cornwall discovered the Yemeni hostages after searching the pirates' sailing boat in the Indian Ocean, the Ministry of Defence said.<br /> </p><p><br /> The boarding crew also found and destroyed weapons including rocket propelled grenades, and three skiffs used to launch attacks.<br /> </p><p><br /> HMS Cornwall's commanding officer, Commander David Wilkinson, said: "Our presence in the area has had a hugely significant effect on the lives of five Yemeni fishermen, who have been freed from over three months of pirate captivity and can now return to their families.<br /> </p><p><br /> "In addition we have restored a merchant vessel to legitimate use on the high seas and my highly trained team has conducted a very slick boarding operation which has ensured that this pirate vessel is no longer able to operate."<br /> </p><p><br /> Piracy in the busy shipping lanes off Somalia has flourished since its government collapsed in 1991. The piracy industry has evolved into a multimillion dollar business with almost daily attacks.<br /> </p>
