[Jerusalem Post Front Page] Israeli freight company Zim's ship the Africa Star was attacked by Somali pirates on Saturday morning when the ship was sailing some 700 kilometers from Somalia, Israel Radio reported. The incident began when pirates atop two speedboats opened handgun fire at the ship. They tried to climb the ship but a barbed wire running around the deck prevented them from getting aboard.
After their attempt to board the ship failed, the pirates returned to the speedboats and began tailing the Africa Star, an activity they pursued for several hours. But the ship managed to flee as the pirates and another mother ship that accompanied them were too slow.
As the incident began to unfold, the emergency room at the Zim offices in Haifa contacted NATO headquarters in the Gulf of Aden through the Foreign Ministry and the Navy.
A British fighter jet was scrambled and the pilot reported that he was in eye with the pirate ships. The Africa Star carries a Maltese flag.