Somalia: Pirates Attack Oil Tanker
AP: November 9, 2009

Somali pirates attacked an oil tanker and fired automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades on Monday farther out at sea than in any previous assault, suggesting that the pirates’ abilities were growing as they increased activity off East Africa. Pirates in two skiffs fired at the Hong Kong-flagged BW Lion about 1,000 nautical miles east of the Somali coast, the European Union Naval Force said. The tanker’s captain increased speed and took evasive maneuvers, avoiding the attack, the force said. No casualties were reported. Pirates have carried out increasingly bold attacks on vessels in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden in hopes of capturing ships and crews and collecting ransom. They currently hold more than 190 hostages, including a British couple seized from their yacht last month.