EU NAVFOR: Dutch warship Tromp disrupts more Pirate Action Groups
07:14 GMT, March 30, 2010
Continuing success by EU NAVFOR over the last 24 hours by Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and EU NAVFOR HNLMS Tromp, has led to the detention of 10 suspected pirates and the destruction of a Pirate Action Groups (PAG).
On 28th Mar, the EU NAVFOR Swedish Maritime Patrol aircraft (MPA) located a PAG almost 700 miles east of Mogadishu and informed the Force Commander onboard the Italian warship ETNA. The Force Commander, Admiral Giovanni Gumiero tasked TROMP with intercepting the PAG.
EU NAVFOR warship TROMP launched her helicopter and forced the suspected pirates to stop their skiffs. A boarding operation was conducted and 10 suspected pirates were detained. A large number of fuel barrels were found and destroyed. Two attack skiffs were also destroyed and the suspects were provided with sufficient fuel and water to reach the coast in a third boat.
During this period of highly successful disruption operations, EU NAVFOR French, Spanish, German and Dutch warships and Maritime patrol Aircraft from Sweden and Luxemburg have interdicted some 17 Pirate Groups, accounting for more than 131 suspected pirates with HNLMS
Tromp alone accounting for the apprehension of 61 suspected pirates.
EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the ‘World Food Program’ (WFP) and vessels of AMISOM, and to protect vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy.----EU NAVFOR Public Affairs Office
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Nigerian Pirates Strike Again? W. Africa pirates hold sailors for ransom
By JON GAMBRELL (AP)
LAGOS, Nigeria — A Nigerian naval officer says pirates have seized a Ghanaian ship and kidnapped two sailors for ransom.
The hijacking apparently took place off the coast of the West African nation of Cameroon.
Commodore David Nabaida told The Associated Press on Tuesday that pirates took control of the MV Gull and kidnapped its captain and an officer on board once they found nothing worth stealing.
Saturday's attack occurred near the Bakassi peninsula, an area that once sparked a war between Cameroon and Nigeria. Nigeria handed over the peninsula to Cameroon in 2008 after an international court ruling.
Militants groups want the peninsula to secede from Cameroon and are waging a low-level war against the government.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
By JON GAMBRELL (AP)
LAGOS, Nigeria — A Nigerian naval officer says pirates have seized a Ghanaian ship and kidnapped two sailors for ransom.
The hijacking apparently took place off the coast of the West African nation of Cameroon.
Commodore David Nabaida told The Associated Press on Tuesday that pirates took control of the MV Gull and kidnapped its captain and an officer on board once they found nothing worth stealing.
Saturday's attack occurred near the Bakassi peninsula, an area that once sparked a war between Cameroon and Nigeria. Nigeria handed over the peninsula to Cameroon in 2008 after an international court ruling.
Militants groups want the peninsula to secede from Cameroon and are waging a low-level war against the government.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Somali pirates holding dhows with Indian crew
By MALKHADIR M. MUHUMED (AP)
By MALKHADIR M. MUHUMED (AP)
NAIROBI, Kenya — Somali pirates may be holding several dhows carrying an estimated 100 Indian sailors they have seized over the past five days, an Indian naval spokesman and a diplomat said Tuesday.
Indian navy spokesman P.V.S. Satish said Tuesday the navy was checking reports that eight dhows with Indians aboard have been missing since Sunday.
A Nairobi-based diplomat said the dhows were seized between Friday and Sunday, but could not say how many vessels were taken. The boats are believed to have been moving goods between Somalia and the United Arab Emirates, said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
He said some of dhows have drifted away from the Somali coastline but their location is not clear.
Pirate attacks have continued to climb despite three dozen warships patrolling the Somali coast.
Experts say piracy will continue to be a problem until an effective government is established on Somalia's lawless shores. There are few other job prospects in the impoverished nation, which has not had a stable government for 19 years.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Yemen: Pirates Take Cargo Ship Off Aden
By REUTERS
Published: March 29, 2010
Pirates seized a cargo ship on Monday with 24 crew members off the port of Aden, Yemen. The vessel, the MV Iceberg 1, was boarded just 10 miles from the port and was being taken toward the Somali coast, said the Ecoterra maritime monitoring agency in Kenya. Members of the crew of the ship, which flies the flag of Panama, are from Ghana, Pakistan, India, Sudan and Yemen, according to the East Africa Seafarers Assistance Program, which is also headquartered in Kenya. A spokesman for traders in Mogadishu, Somalia, said that seven other ships had been seized in the Indian Ocean over the weekend.
By REUTERS
Published: March 29, 2010
Pirates seized a cargo ship on Monday with 24 crew members off the port of Aden, Yemen. The vessel, the MV Iceberg 1, was boarded just 10 miles from the port and was being taken toward the Somali coast, said the Ecoterra maritime monitoring agency in Kenya. Members of the crew of the ship, which flies the flag of Panama, are from Ghana, Pakistan, India, Sudan and Yemen, according to the East Africa Seafarers Assistance Program, which is also headquartered in Kenya. A spokesman for traders in Mogadishu, Somalia, said that seven other ships had been seized in the Indian Ocean over the weekend.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Pirates hijack ship off Somalia: maritime agency
Reuters Monday, March 29, 2010; 9:31 AM
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Pirates seized a roll-on roll-off ship named MV Iceberg 1 with 24 crew members off the port of Aden on Monday, a maritime monitoring agency said.
It was the third ship reported to have been seized by pirates in the waters off east Africa since Saturday.
"The owners reported to NATO that pirates boarded the ro-ro vessel MV Iceberg 1 today just 10 miles outside Aden Port in the Gulf of Aden," said the Kenyan-based Ecoterra.
"The vessel with her 24 member crew is now commandeered toward the Somali coast." Ecoterra gave no more information on the hijacked vessel.
Somali buccaneers are highly active off the coast of Somalia, increasing the range of their attacks, acquiring millions of dollars in ransoms and defying a flotilla of foreign warships that is trying to monitor the region's sea lanes. More...
Reuters Monday, March 29, 2010; 9:31 AM
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Pirates seized a roll-on roll-off ship named MV Iceberg 1 with 24 crew members off the port of Aden on Monday, a maritime monitoring agency said.
It was the third ship reported to have been seized by pirates in the waters off east Africa since Saturday.
"The owners reported to NATO that pirates boarded the ro-ro vessel MV Iceberg 1 today just 10 miles outside Aden Port in the Gulf of Aden," said the Kenyan-based Ecoterra.
"The vessel with her 24 member crew is now commandeered toward the Somali coast." Ecoterra gave no more information on the hijacked vessel.
Somali buccaneers are highly active off the coast of Somalia, increasing the range of their attacks, acquiring millions of dollars in ransoms and defying a flotilla of foreign warships that is trying to monitor the region's sea lanes. More...
Somali pirates say hijack Spanish ship
Sun Mar 28, 2010 8:52am EDT
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali pirates said on Sunday they had captured a Spanish fishing vessel in the Indian Ocean.
A pirate who gave his name as Ibrahim told Reuters by phone: "My men have hijacked a Spanish fishing vessel from the Indian Ocean. They are on board and safe."
Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya-based East Africa Seafarers Assistance Programme told Reuters by phone they were aware a fishing vessel had been seized, but its ownership was unclear.
The Spanish foreign ministry in Madrid said it was checking the reports.
Mwangura said pirates had demanded a $3 million ransom for a North Korea-flagged cargo ship captured early last month.
The pirates were threatening to kill the 10-man Syrian crew of the Libyan-owned MV RIM, he said. Somali pirates have received millions of dollars in ransom payments for various ships in recent months.
(Reporting by Mohamed Ahmed and Duncan Miriri in Nairobi; Editing by Michael Roddy)
Sun Mar 28, 2010 8:52am EDT
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali pirates said on Sunday they had captured a Spanish fishing vessel in the Indian Ocean.
A pirate who gave his name as Ibrahim told Reuters by phone: "My men have hijacked a Spanish fishing vessel from the Indian Ocean. They are on board and safe."
Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya-based East Africa Seafarers Assistance Programme told Reuters by phone they were aware a fishing vessel had been seized, but its ownership was unclear.
The Spanish foreign ministry in Madrid said it was checking the reports.
Mwangura said pirates had demanded a $3 million ransom for a North Korea-flagged cargo ship captured early last month.
The pirates were threatening to kill the 10-man Syrian crew of the Libyan-owned MV RIM, he said. Somali pirates have received millions of dollars in ransom payments for various ships in recent months.
(Reporting by Mohamed Ahmed and Duncan Miriri in Nairobi; Editing by Michael Roddy)
Thursday, March 25, 2010
PARIS — After a dramatic chase on the high seas and exchanges of fire between private security contractors and pirates off Somalia, the European Union Naval Force released six suspected attackers who had tried to commandeer a cargo ship heading for Mogadishu, the naval force said on Thursday.
The suspects were freed because the captain of the ship they were accused of attacking declined to identify them for the purposes of legal action, Cmdr. John Harbour, the spokesman for the naval force, said in a telephone interview.
The suspects were placed in a skiff and given enough fuel and water to reach the shore, he added.
They were captured after private contractors on board the cargo ship, the Almezaan, repulsed two attempts to commandeer the vessel and killed a seventh attacker in the process, according to the naval force, which is based in Britain.
The fatality was believed to be the first caused by private security personnel hired to counter the threat of piracy off Somalia, Commander Harbour said.
The release of the suspects illuminated the obstacles blocking the prosecution of assailants captured on the largely unregulated high seas where jurisdiction is unclear.
The Almezaan, for instance, is owned by a company in the United Arab Emirates, but flies the Panamanian flag. Its captain is Pakistani, while the nationality of the crew members and the private contractors who repelled the attack was unclear, the naval force said.
The death of one of the attackers could escalate the struggle between pirates and merchant shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, where cargo ships increasingly carry private security teams. Some maritime organizations believe the presence of armed contractors may make pirates adopt more aggressive tactics. The death of the attacker also raised legal questions about the accountability of private teams, a United Nations official said.
The episode happened early on Tuesday when the Almezaan came under attack from pirates using high-speed skiffs controlled by a mother ship, the naval force said.
Twice the pirates attacked the vessel, and twice they were repulsed as a Spanish frigate, the Navarra, sped toward the scene, Commander Harbour said.
“Normally, the private security firms fire warning shots” to repel pirates, he said. But on Tuesday, “the pirates came for a second time firing their guns, and the security team fired back,” he said. Asked if the killing was the first by a private security team, he said, “I believe that is the case.”
A helicopter from the Navarra located the pirates and fired warning shots while a team from the frigate went aboard the pirates’ boats. In one pirate skiff, which was riddled with bullets, the boarding party found three pirates and the body of a fourth who had been hit by small-arms fire, Commander Harbour said.
Six suspected pirates were arrested.
When members of the European boarding team took the captured men back to the Almezaan, Commander Harbour said, the ship’s captain declined to give evidence that would have identified them as the assailants. It was not clear what had happened to the body of the slain attacker.
While several pirates have died in encounters with international naval forces, Arvinder Sambei, a legal consultant for the United Nations’ antipiracy program, said the role of private security operatives this time “will be scrutinized very closely,” The Associated Press reported.
“There’s always been concern about these companies,” she told the A.P. “Who are they responsible to?”
Ms. Sambei continued, “The bottom line is somebody has been killed, and someone has to give an accounting of that.”
Fishermen Saved After Pirates Leave Them To Die
An Iranian fishing boat crew who were tied up, robbed and then left to die by Somali pirates have been rescued by a European Union naval force, officials said Monday. More...
An Iranian fishing boat crew who were tied up, robbed and then left to die by Somali pirates have been rescued by a European Union naval force, officials said Monday. More...
Somali pirates hijack Turkish ship
ANKARA, Turkey -- Somali pirates have hijacked a Turkish cargo ship in the Indian Ocean with 19 Turks and two Ukrainian sailors onboard. The vessel, sailing under Maltese flag, was commandeered off the Somali coast, the EU's anti-pirate mission NAVFOR announced on Tuesday (March 23rd). The ship was en route to Thailand. (Reuters, AFP, AP, Hurriyet - 23/03/10)
ANKARA, Turkey -- Somali pirates have hijacked a Turkish cargo ship in the Indian Ocean with 19 Turks and two Ukrainian sailors onboard. The vessel, sailing under Maltese flag, was commandeered off the Somali coast, the EU's anti-pirate mission NAVFOR announced on Tuesday (March 23rd). The ship was en route to Thailand. (Reuters, AFP, AP, Hurriyet - 23/03/10)
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
NYT: By ALAN COWELL
March 24, 2010
PARIS — Private security guards aboard a merchant ship plying the pirate-infested waters off Somalia shot dead one of several attackers trying to seize the vessel, the European Naval Force in the area said on Wednesday. The killing was thought to have been the first involving private contractors, the Naval Force said.
The death could escalate the struggle between pirates and merchant shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, where cargo ships increasingly carry private security operatives to repel assailants. Some maritime organizations believe the presence of armed contractors might persuade pirates to adopt more aggressive tactics. The death of the pirate also raised legal questions about the accountability of private security teams, a United Nations official said.
The episode happened early on Tuesday when the Almezaan, a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship heading for Mogadishu, came under attack from pirates using high-speed skiffs controlled by a mother ship, the British-based Naval Force said in a statement on its Web site. More...
Monday, March 22, 2010
Warships blasting Somali pirates out of water
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — An international fleet of warships is attacking and destroying Somali pirate vessels closer to the shores of East Africa and the new strategy, combined with more aggressive confrontations further out to sea, has dealt the brigands a setback, officials and experts said Thursday.
The new tactics by the European Union naval force comes after Spain— which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, and whose fishing vessels are frequent pirate targets — encouraged more aggressive pursuit of pirates and the coalition obtained more aircraft and other military assets, said Rear Adm. Peter Hudson, the force commander.
The EU Naval Force attacked 12 groups of pirate vessels, which normally includes several skiffs and a mother vessel, this month, more than last year. Half of those attacks were on the high seas and half close to shore, reflecting the new strategy to intercept pirates before they reach deep water and international shipping lanes.
Hudson told The Associated Press that the force wants to "get up close ... before they can attack some ships" and use the additional aircraft to spot pirate vessels and send warships to intercept them.
With calmer waters, March is typically a busy month for pirate attacks. But only two ships have been taken in the first two weeks of the month, down from four hijackings over the same period last year, said EU naval spokesman Cmdr. John Harbour. The number of unsuccessful attacks also dropped. About half of last year's 47 successful hijackings happened during March, April and May.
Citing operational security, Harbour would not say how close to the coast the ships now get but noted that the EU Naval Force has the right to go into Somali waters, or within three miles offshore.
Hudson said it is too soon to tell whether the gains of the new strategy will hold. He said an improved level of co-operation between EU forces, NATO and U.S. naval forces based out of Bahrain is also helping.
Some experts agree the international forces have led to a drop in pirate attacks in a period when they would normally be firing at numerous vessels, climbing aboard on ladders and taking the crews hostage at gunpoint.
"They are at the moment effectively suppressing what would otherwise be chaos," said Graeme Gibbon Brooks of Dryad Maritime Intelligence in Britain.
If the pirates aren't detained for prosecution — and most are not — they are disarmed and put back out to sea on one craft. Harbour said that while the aggressive tactics are not a long-term solution, they force pirates to find new vessels and weapons before they can launch more attacks.
Until stability returns to Somalia, young men will continue to risk drowning or imprisonment for the multimillion dollar ransoms that ships can fetch, experts say. There are few other job prospects in the impoverished nation, which has not had a stable government for 19 years.
"The big question is, what is happening about fixing Somalia?" asked Alan Cole, a lawyer who heads the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime's anti-piracy initiative. "Right now I'm just chasing leaves falling off a tree."
Eleven out of the 81 suspected pirates detained by the EU this month are being held for prosecution, said Harbour. Many European countries whose vessels have been attacked by pirates are reluctant to bring suspects home for trial in case they try to claim asylum.
Most of the hundreds of Somalis who are in prison on piracy charges are in Kenya, which has 18 convicted pirates and 107 suspects on trial, Cole said. They are also imprisoned in the semiautonomous northern Somali region of Puntland, in the Seychelles, Maldives, Yemen and Somaliland.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — An international fleet of warships is attacking and destroying Somali pirate vessels closer to the shores of East Africa and the new strategy, combined with more aggressive confrontations further out to sea, has dealt the brigands a setback, officials and experts said Thursday.
The new tactics by the European Union naval force comes after Spain— which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, and whose fishing vessels are frequent pirate targets — encouraged more aggressive pursuit of pirates and the coalition obtained more aircraft and other military assets, said Rear Adm. Peter Hudson, the force commander.
The EU Naval Force attacked 12 groups of pirate vessels, which normally includes several skiffs and a mother vessel, this month, more than last year. Half of those attacks were on the high seas and half close to shore, reflecting the new strategy to intercept pirates before they reach deep water and international shipping lanes.
Hudson told The Associated Press that the force wants to "get up close ... before they can attack some ships" and use the additional aircraft to spot pirate vessels and send warships to intercept them.
With calmer waters, March is typically a busy month for pirate attacks. But only two ships have been taken in the first two weeks of the month, down from four hijackings over the same period last year, said EU naval spokesman Cmdr. John Harbour. The number of unsuccessful attacks also dropped. About half of last year's 47 successful hijackings happened during March, April and May.
Citing operational security, Harbour would not say how close to the coast the ships now get but noted that the EU Naval Force has the right to go into Somali waters, or within three miles offshore.
Hudson said it is too soon to tell whether the gains of the new strategy will hold. He said an improved level of co-operation between EU forces, NATO and U.S. naval forces based out of Bahrain is also helping.
Some experts agree the international forces have led to a drop in pirate attacks in a period when they would normally be firing at numerous vessels, climbing aboard on ladders and taking the crews hostage at gunpoint.
"They are at the moment effectively suppressing what would otherwise be chaos," said Graeme Gibbon Brooks of Dryad Maritime Intelligence in Britain.
If the pirates aren't detained for prosecution — and most are not — they are disarmed and put back out to sea on one craft. Harbour said that while the aggressive tactics are not a long-term solution, they force pirates to find new vessels and weapons before they can launch more attacks.
Until stability returns to Somalia, young men will continue to risk drowning or imprisonment for the multimillion dollar ransoms that ships can fetch, experts say. There are few other job prospects in the impoverished nation, which has not had a stable government for 19 years.
"The big question is, what is happening about fixing Somalia?" asked Alan Cole, a lawyer who heads the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime's anti-piracy initiative. "Right now I'm just chasing leaves falling off a tree."
Eleven out of the 81 suspected pirates detained by the EU this month are being held for prosecution, said Harbour. Many European countries whose vessels have been attacked by pirates are reluctant to bring suspects home for trial in case they try to claim asylum.
Most of the hundreds of Somalis who are in prison on piracy charges are in Kenya, which has 18 convicted pirates and 107 suspects on trial, Cole said. They are also imprisoned in the semiautonomous northern Somali region of Puntland, in the Seychelles, Maldives, Yemen and Somaliland.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
Anti-pirate actions off Somalia net results
Two anti-pirate actions off Somalia have thinned the ranks of the would-be marauders, a European Union project reported Wednesday.
The latest incident occurred early Wednesday, when would-be pirates in two skiffs approached a vessel off Somalia at high speed, the European Union Naval Force (EU-NAVFOR) reported on its Web site.
But they appear to have picked the wrong target: the vessel turned out to be a Royal Netherlands Navy warship, the HNLMS Tromp, which was patrolling the region, EU-NAVFOR said.
The warship fired warning shots as the skiffs approached and deployed its helicopter to track down the suspects, who had turned tail, it said. An EU NAVFOR maritime patrol aircraft from Sweden tracked a third boat, the suspected pirates' mother ship.
Authorities found ammunition and rocket-propelled grenades in the skiffs, EU NAVFOR said.
Ten suspects were held aboard the warship, then released to one of their boats, it said.
The warship then destroyed the skiffs. Wednesday's incident marks the 11th pirate attack group that has been disrupted in the last two weeks, EU NAVFOR said.
In an incident that began March 4, pirate activity some 350 nautical miles off Somalia led the EU NAVFOR French warship Nivose and maritime patrol aircraft to respond, EU NAVFOR reported.
The next day, Nivose intercepted a pirate group, and sailors boarded two of their skiffs and a whaler, which it identified as the mother ship.
The whaler was destroyed and 11 suspected pirates were detained and flown Wednesday from Djibouti to the Seychelles, where they were handed over to authorities for prosecution, an EU NAVFOR spokesman said in a telephone interview.
Wednesday's incident came a day after pirates released a Virgin Islands-owned, Kiribati-flagged chemical tanker that was hijacked six months ago with a crew of 28 in the Somali Basin 180 miles northwest of the Seychelles, EU NAVFOR said. The MV Theresa VIII, had been held in the pirate stronghold of Haradera, on the Somali coast, it said.
"An unknown ransom was exchanged on the morning of 16 March and the ship is now underway and heading out to sea," it said.
EU NAVFOR's main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid and to protect ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.
The coast off lawless Somalia has become a hotbed of piracy in recent years. The pirates normally seek payment to release the ships.
Two anti-pirate actions off Somalia have thinned the ranks of the would-be marauders, a European Union project reported Wednesday.
The latest incident occurred early Wednesday, when would-be pirates in two skiffs approached a vessel off Somalia at high speed, the European Union Naval Force (EU-NAVFOR) reported on its Web site.
But they appear to have picked the wrong target: the vessel turned out to be a Royal Netherlands Navy warship, the HNLMS Tromp, which was patrolling the region, EU-NAVFOR said.
The warship fired warning shots as the skiffs approached and deployed its helicopter to track down the suspects, who had turned tail, it said. An EU NAVFOR maritime patrol aircraft from Sweden tracked a third boat, the suspected pirates' mother ship.
Authorities found ammunition and rocket-propelled grenades in the skiffs, EU NAVFOR said.
Ten suspects were held aboard the warship, then released to one of their boats, it said.
The warship then destroyed the skiffs. Wednesday's incident marks the 11th pirate attack group that has been disrupted in the last two weeks, EU NAVFOR said.
In an incident that began March 4, pirate activity some 350 nautical miles off Somalia led the EU NAVFOR French warship Nivose and maritime patrol aircraft to respond, EU NAVFOR reported.
The next day, Nivose intercepted a pirate group, and sailors boarded two of their skiffs and a whaler, which it identified as the mother ship.
The whaler was destroyed and 11 suspected pirates were detained and flown Wednesday from Djibouti to the Seychelles, where they were handed over to authorities for prosecution, an EU NAVFOR spokesman said in a telephone interview.
Wednesday's incident came a day after pirates released a Virgin Islands-owned, Kiribati-flagged chemical tanker that was hijacked six months ago with a crew of 28 in the Somali Basin 180 miles northwest of the Seychelles, EU NAVFOR said. The MV Theresa VIII, had been held in the pirate stronghold of Haradera, on the Somali coast, it said.
"An unknown ransom was exchanged on the morning of 16 March and the ship is now underway and heading out to sea," it said.
EU NAVFOR's main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid and to protect ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.
The coast off lawless Somalia has become a hotbed of piracy in recent years. The pirates normally seek payment to release the ships.
Pirates Throw “Net” Wider
March 16, 2010 - 12:54 PM by: Greg Palkot
Pirates continue to venture further and further out to sea in search of modern-day “booty.” Luckily for the folks on the high seas, international navies are now hot on their trail.
The European Union’s anti-pirate naval force reports they’ve nabbed two more groups of buccaneers, some 1000 miles off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean.
“It just shows you the great work we’re doing in the Gulf of Aden,” EU’s Commander John Harbour told Fox News.
The latest run-in’s happened over the weekend and involved the Dutch Naval Frigate Tromp, as well as Swedish and Luxembourg aircraft operating out of the Seychelles islands. Two days after a German ship reported they were being attacked, the European forces caught up with a pirate mother ship, two skiffs and 9 pirates.
At about the same time, closer to the Seychelles islands, the country’s own coast guard, with the help of the EU aircraft caught pirates in three other boats going after a Spanish fishing ship.
The months of March and April, with the monsoon subsiding, is a busy time for piracy and pirate chasing. “There is a lot of activity and we have increased our resources,” Commander Harbour told us.
In fact, in the last three weeks, international navies have taken into custody 12 of what they call “pirate action groups.” At the same time, though, 2 pirate hijackings have occurred.
The hunt goes on.
March 16, 2010 - 12:54 PM by: Greg Palkot
Pirates continue to venture further and further out to sea in search of modern-day “booty.” Luckily for the folks on the high seas, international navies are now hot on their trail.
The European Union’s anti-pirate naval force reports they’ve nabbed two more groups of buccaneers, some 1000 miles off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean.
“It just shows you the great work we’re doing in the Gulf of Aden,” EU’s Commander John Harbour told Fox News.
The latest run-in’s happened over the weekend and involved the Dutch Naval Frigate Tromp, as well as Swedish and Luxembourg aircraft operating out of the Seychelles islands. Two days after a German ship reported they were being attacked, the European forces caught up with a pirate mother ship, two skiffs and 9 pirates.
At about the same time, closer to the Seychelles islands, the country’s own coast guard, with the help of the EU aircraft caught pirates in three other boats going after a Spanish fishing ship.
The months of March and April, with the monsoon subsiding, is a busy time for piracy and pirate chasing. “There is a lot of activity and we have increased our resources,” Commander Harbour told us.
In fact, in the last three weeks, international navies have taken into custody 12 of what they call “pirate action groups.” At the same time, though, 2 pirate hijackings have occurred.
The hunt goes on.
Keeping the seas safe: Canadian navy warship shifts its focus to counter-terrorism but piracy continues to plague the waters off Yemen and Somalia
By ALLISON CROSS, Canwest News ServiceMarch 22, 2010 4:05 PM
When a Canadian navy warship reached the MV Kota Wajar in December, the container ship from Singapore and its crew had just been released after being held captive by Somali pirates for 21/2 months.
A $4-million (U.S.) ransom had been paid to the captors only hours earlier and, being the closest warship in the area, HMCS Fredericton sailed toward the Somali Basin in the Indian Ocean to offer the Kota Wajar some help.
The Fredericton's boarding party, a team dispatched from the frigate to investigate other vessels, gave the hijacked crew fresh water and food, as well as medical attention.
The Somali captors had been using the Kota Wajar as a mother ship, from which they orchestrated and carried out other hijackings.
Although the Fredericton has since switched from its counter-piracy mission to focus on counter-terrorism in the same region, acts of piracy continue to plague the waters surrounding Yemen and Somalia.
"We've seen a resurgence in piracy over the last few years, the last couple in particular," said the Fredericton's captain, Cmdr. Steve Waddell.
Would-be pirates target the Gulf of Aden, which contains the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) - the suggested transit route for legitimate vessels carrying goods to Europe and North America.
About 900 kilometres long and 300 kilometres wide, the IRTC is closer to Yemen than to Somalia, because the former coastline is generally safer for merchant vessels.
Nonetheless, the Gulf of Aden has managed to earn the nickname "pirate alley." More...
By ALLISON CROSS, Canwest News ServiceMarch 22, 2010 4:05 PM
When a Canadian navy warship reached the MV Kota Wajar in December, the container ship from Singapore and its crew had just been released after being held captive by Somali pirates for 21/2 months.
A $4-million (U.S.) ransom had been paid to the captors only hours earlier and, being the closest warship in the area, HMCS Fredericton sailed toward the Somali Basin in the Indian Ocean to offer the Kota Wajar some help.
The Fredericton's boarding party, a team dispatched from the frigate to investigate other vessels, gave the hijacked crew fresh water and food, as well as medical attention.
The Somali captors had been using the Kota Wajar as a mother ship, from which they orchestrated and carried out other hijackings.
Although the Fredericton has since switched from its counter-piracy mission to focus on counter-terrorism in the same region, acts of piracy continue to plague the waters surrounding Yemen and Somalia.
"We've seen a resurgence in piracy over the last few years, the last couple in particular," said the Fredericton's captain, Cmdr. Steve Waddell.
Would-be pirates target the Gulf of Aden, which contains the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) - the suggested transit route for legitimate vessels carrying goods to Europe and North America.
About 900 kilometres long and 300 kilometres wide, the IRTC is closer to Yemen than to Somalia, because the former coastline is generally safer for merchant vessels.
Nonetheless, the Gulf of Aden has managed to earn the nickname "pirate alley." More...
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