They Did It Once Again!!! Ship Number 13 Goes Down!!!
Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 3:49 am
Armed pirates have hijacked a Greek cargo ship off the coast of Somalia, the 13th vessel seized in the notorious African waters in the past two months.
Experts say the latest attack show that seaborne Somali raiders have extended their range - and commercial ships are now being warned to steer clear of certain zones.
The pirates are often trained fighters wearing military fatigues and armed with automatic weapons, anti-tank rocket launchers and grenades.
The Greek ship, which had 25 crew members on board, was off Somalia's eastern coast on its way to Kenya when it was set upon.
It is not known whether anyone was hurt or killed in the raid.
Noel Choong, of the International Maritime Bureau, said the latest incident showed that the pirates, who were previously operating off the country's northern coast in the Gulf of Aden, have to begun to attack ships in the east.
A multinational naval force patrolling the area has been informed, and ships have been warned to stay clear of the coastline, he added.
"We advise ships to stay at least 250 miles from the coast and even then, they must maintain a strict watch," he said.
The latest incident brings to 55 the number of attacks on ships off the coast of Somalia this year, most of which occurred in the Gulf of Aden.
The series of hijacks has led the US Naval Central Command to establish a security corridor patrolled by an international coalition of warships.
The Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, is one of the world's busiest waterways, with some 20,000 ships passing through it each year.
Experts say the latest attack show that seaborne Somali raiders have extended their range - and commercial ships are now being warned to steer clear of certain zones.
The pirates are often trained fighters wearing military fatigues and armed with automatic weapons, anti-tank rocket launchers and grenades.
The Greek ship, which had 25 crew members on board, was off Somalia's eastern coast on its way to Kenya when it was set upon.
It is not known whether anyone was hurt or killed in the raid.
Noel Choong, of the International Maritime Bureau, said the latest incident showed that the pirates, who were previously operating off the country's northern coast in the Gulf of Aden, have to begun to attack ships in the east.
A multinational naval force patrolling the area has been informed, and ships have been warned to stay clear of the coastline, he added.
"We advise ships to stay at least 250 miles from the coast and even then, they must maintain a strict watch," he said.
The latest incident brings to 55 the number of attacks on ships off the coast of Somalia this year, most of which occurred in the Gulf of Aden.
The series of hijacks has led the US Naval Central Command to establish a security corridor patrolled by an international coalition of warships.
The Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, is one of the world's busiest waterways, with some 20,000 ships passing through it each year.
