The crew of the Philippine ship MV Kudos was attacked by a dozen pirates while sailing near Sibago Island in the Basilan region (Photo courtesy of Western Mindanao Command)

Sailors in the Philippine Sea faced a pirate attack using medieval defense and siege methods by throwing the attackers boiling water with oil, until the Coast Guard arrived, it was released today. The crew of the Philippine ship MV Kudos was attacked by a dozen pirates while sailing near Sibago Island in the Basilan region.

The attackers tried to board the ship, armed with firearms, but the 22 sailors on board the merchant repelled the attack by throwing a mixture of hot water and oil at them, the Philippine Coast Guard said. The pirates used three motor boats to flank the Philippine ship in an attempt to kidnap the crew members to obtain a rescue, according to the Philippine television network ABS-CBN.

The ship, which carried steel from Davao to Manila, sent a relief signal while keeping the pirates at bay long enough for the Coast Guard and the Navy to reach the scene.

The coastal authorities praised the courage of the sailors, two of whom were slightly injured in the attack. Some reports of the failed kidnapping suggest that the group responsible is Abu Sayyaf, a regional affiliate of the extremist Islamic State (ISIS) organization, according to Manila Times. Last year, 22 such incidents were recorded in the Philippines, more than twice the number of maritime attacks in 2016.