A cargo ship’s crew prevented pirates from boarding their vessel by pouring hot water and oil on their attackers, a military official has said.

Western Mindanao Command chief Lieutenant General Carlito Galvez Jr. said by pouring hot water on the pirates, the crew members of MV Kudos were able to buy time until naval and coastguard personnel arrived to rescue them.

The Philippine-flagged cargo ship was attacked by armed men in waters between Coco and Sibago islands in Basilan province late Friday.

“We were pleased that the crew did not lose their presence of mind. Their raw courage enabled them to pour hot water and oil on the pirates who were already attempting to climb the vessel,” Galvez said in a statement.

He said they received a distress call about the pirates’s attack on MV Kudos at 10 p.m. Maritime forces, including the Philippine Coast Guard, were able to establish contact with the ship’s crew

Galvez said that the maritime forces arrived just in time to rescue the ship’s crew.

He said that as the troops were arriving, the pirates fired at the vessel and had injured some of the crew members.

Aside from naval ships, he said they sent Philippine Air Force two aircrafts to augment the responding troops.

The ship’s crew suffered minor injuries during the attack, but none of them were abducted. The ship sustained 15 gunshots during the attack.

The pirates, meanwhile, were able to escape.

Galvez said pursuit operations are ongoing against the ship’s attackers. Patrol operations in the area and its surroundings have also been beefed up, he added.