India Navy Enters Maldives Fray

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Indian navy ships today surrounded a boat filled with foreign mercenaries who seized hostages and fled the Maldives after trying to overthrow its government, according to reports from the Indian Ocean archipelago.

Maldives television reported that the Indians were trying to negotiate on the high seas for the hostages’ release. The mercenaries, thought to be Tamils from nearby Sri Lanka, fled after Indian paratroopers landed to help President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and his lightly armed security forces. About 20 hostages, including a Cabinet minister and his family, were hustled aboard the 5,000-ton boat when gunmen fled amid blasts of Indian machine-gun fire.