NATO Rescues 'The Ariella' from Somali Pirates

CNN reports that The Ariella, an Antigua and Barbuda flagged ship, was rescued from Somali pirates by NATO forces. As I've argued before, strong military action is the first step to solving this problem, and hopefully there will be more on the lines of this rescue operation. It is a pity that the pirates were allowed to escape in this instance.
Here's more from CNN:
A European Maritime patrol airplane arrived on the scene shortly after receiving a distress call from the Ariella.... After the plane verified the presence of pirates on the ship, nearby NATO Danish Special Forces approached and boarded the ship.

Special Forces members found the ship's crew hiding in a compartment, unharmed. Both the Special Forces and the EU Naval Forces believe the pirates fled when the warship arrived.

The Ariella is owned by the Slovenian company Splosna Plovda, according to Harbour. The route being followed by the Ariella at the time of the attack is a frequent target for pirates. It is strongly patrolled by anti-piracy forces, including NATO and individual countries' navies.