| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa Horn |
| Somali pirates on hijacking spree |
| 2009-04-07 |
| [Mail and Globe] Somali pirates seized ships from France, Britain, Germany, Taiwan and Yemen, defying world naval powers by prowling further out in the Indian Ocean to target victims. Ransom-hunting pirates equipped with skiffs, guns and grapnels took five ships in 48 hours, the two latest on Monday targeting a British cargo ship and a Taiwanese fishing vessel. At least 17 ships and more than 250 hostages are now in pirate hands. "There were two more hijackings today. There is one Italian-operated British-owned ship and a Taiwanese vessel near the Seychelles," an official involved in regional piracy monitoring told AFP on condition of anonymity. The Seychelles government said it received a distress call saying that a Taiwanese fishing vessel, the MV Winfar 161, and its 29 crew was hijacked in its exclusive economic zone, north of Denis island. Transport Minister Joel Morgan said military forces had been deployed to intercept the pirates, amid reports that three more Taiwanese ships were trying to escape capture. The information centre of the European Union's anti-piracy naval mission Atalanta confirmed Monday's second hijacking. "A 32 000 tonne UK-owned and Italian-operated bulk carrier was hijacked early this morning in the Gulf of Aden. Few details are known at this stage, but the mixed nationality crew are believed to be safe," it said. Ecoterra International, an environment group monitoring illegal marine activities in the region, reported that a small French yacht was captured Saturday about 640km off Ras Hafun in northeast Somalia and was heading towards Somali Puntland. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 When we set up a lane we would patrol, the pirates began hunting ships outside the lane. For some unfathomable reason, killing pirates seems to be against international law. The U.S. in particular will not do anything that could not be considered a law enforement op. The Indians killed a mother ship, but then got tarred because it was a "civilian" vessel. That drove the lesson home that you cannot kill pirates. |
| Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2009-04-07 21:40 |
| #1 Why doesn't someone put a big enough bounty on these guys heads that it would be profitable for Blackwater or similar group to outfit a small freighter appropriately and go fishing for pirates? Just wondering. Oh, and the bounty pays a premium for dead rather than still wiggling. |
| Posted by: Richard of Oregon 2009-04-07 16:56 |