Officials: 11 pirate suspects headed for US
By PAULINE JELINEK (AP)
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials say 11 pirate suspects are being flown to the United States and could appear for a court hearing on their indictment as early as Friday morning.
The officials say the suspects were taken from the USS Nassau amphibious assault ship off Africa's coast Thursday, handed over to U.S. law enforcement officials and were being flown to Norfolk, Virginia. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the cases.
The 11 are alleged to have fired on two U.S. naval vessels in two separate incidents in recent weeks.
Ten more alleged pirates are still being held by the Navy, but it was unclear Thursday whether any nation would prosecute them.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Somali pirates seize 3 Thai ships with 77 crew
By KATHARINE HOURELD (AP)
NAIROBI, Kenya — Somali pirates hijacked three Thai fishing vessels with 77 crew aboard more than 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) off the Somali coast, the farthest-off-shore attack to date, the EU Naval Force said Tuesday.
Pirates have expanded their range south and east in response to an increase in patrols by European and U.S. warships off the Somali shore.
The hijacking of the three Thai vessels Sunday was almost 600 miles outside the normal operation area for the EU Naval Force, said its spokesman, Cmdr. John Harbour.
The EU Naval Force said the attack so far out at sea was a clear indication that the EU, NATO and U.S.-led anti-piracy missions were having a "marked effect on pirate activity in the area."
"Once they start attacking that far out, you're not even really talking about the Somali basin or areas of water that have any connection with Somalia," said Roger Middleton, a piracy expert at the British think tank Chatham House. "Once you're that far out it's just the Indian Ocean, and it means you're looking at trade going from the Gulf to Asia, from Asia to southern Africa."
The three vessels — the MV Prantalay 11, 12, and 14 — have 77 crew onboard in total. All the crew are Thai, Harbour said. The owner of the vessels is PT Interfishery Ltd.
Before the latest hijackings pirates held 11 vessels and 228 crew, said Cyrus Mody of the International Maritime Bureau. The latest hijacking raises those numbers to 14 vessels and 305 crew.
Pirates have increased attacks against shipping vessels over the last year in hopes of netting the multi-million dollar ransoms they can earn. Because of increased naval patrols and increased defenses on board commercial vessels, the pirates' success rate has gone down, though the number of successful attacks has stayed about the same year over year.
Associated Press reporter Jason Straziuso contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
By KATHARINE HOURELD (AP)
NAIROBI, Kenya — Somali pirates hijacked three Thai fishing vessels with 77 crew aboard more than 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) off the Somali coast, the farthest-off-shore attack to date, the EU Naval Force said Tuesday.
Pirates have expanded their range south and east in response to an increase in patrols by European and U.S. warships off the Somali shore.
The hijacking of the three Thai vessels Sunday was almost 600 miles outside the normal operation area for the EU Naval Force, said its spokesman, Cmdr. John Harbour.
The EU Naval Force said the attack so far out at sea was a clear indication that the EU, NATO and U.S.-led anti-piracy missions were having a "marked effect on pirate activity in the area."
"Once they start attacking that far out, you're not even really talking about the Somali basin or areas of water that have any connection with Somalia," said Roger Middleton, a piracy expert at the British think tank Chatham House. "Once you're that far out it's just the Indian Ocean, and it means you're looking at trade going from the Gulf to Asia, from Asia to southern Africa."
The three vessels — the MV Prantalay 11, 12, and 14 — have 77 crew onboard in total. All the crew are Thai, Harbour said. The owner of the vessels is PT Interfishery Ltd.
Before the latest hijackings pirates held 11 vessels and 228 crew, said Cyrus Mody of the International Maritime Bureau. The latest hijacking raises those numbers to 14 vessels and 305 crew.
Pirates have increased attacks against shipping vessels over the last year in hopes of netting the multi-million dollar ransoms they can earn. Because of increased naval patrols and increased defenses on board commercial vessels, the pirates' success rate has gone down, though the number of successful attacks has stayed about the same year over year.
Associated Press reporter Jason Straziuso contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Washington (CNN) -- Five suspected Somali pirates accused of attacking a U.S. Navy ship could be sent to the United States to face criminal proceedings, according to U.S. military officials.
This is only the second time U.S. authorities have brought pirate suspects from Somalia to the United States to possibly face trial.
This is only the second time U.S. authorities have brought pirate suspects from Somalia to the United States to possibly face trial.
The five are being held aboard the USS Nicholas -- the guided-missile frigate they are accused of attacking -- off the Horn of Africa and will be transferred to Department of Justice authority in the coming days, officials said.
Although the United States worked with Kenya to create a system to try pirate suspects in that country, the Kenyan government told Washington that its court system is overburdened and cannot accept more cases.
The suspects are expected to be moved to the U.S. base in Djibouti and then flown to Norfolk, Virginia, according to the officials.
The Department of Justice has enough evidence on the five to prosecute them, according to military officials. The expectation is they will be tried in federal court. More...
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Somali pirates in high gear on high seas
MOGADISHU, Somalia, April 8 (UPI) -- Suspected pirates hijacking ships along Somalia's lawless coast have overtaken at least three ships and nearly 60 crew members this week, naval officials said.
The incidents are the latest in a string of hijackings of at least 16 ships and an estimated 240 crew members since the end of the monsoon season in recent weeks.
Suspected pirates hijacked the South Korean supertanker Samho Dream Sunday with 24 sailors on board and warned a South Korean warship chasing the supertanker to stay away or risk endangering the crew's safety, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Thursday.
Suspected Somali pirates hijacked the Turkish vessel MV Yasin C with a crew of 25 off the Kenyan coast Wednesday, said the European Union Naval Force, charged with helping to prevent piracy off Somalia's coast.
The Wednesday hijacking followed the commandeering by suspected Somali pirates of an Indian cargo dhow, a traditional Arab sailing vessel, and the drowning of a hostage Tuesday after the dhow was used to attack another vessel and navies, including from the United States, intervened.
The suspected pirates aboard the commandeered dhow Faize Osamani tried to attack the MV Rising Sun, which evaded the attack and sent a distress signal, the U.S. Fifth Fleet said.
An Omani warship arrived first and the nine hostages jumped overboard to swim away from the pirates. One hostage drowned and the eight others were rescued, the Fifth Fleet said.
The U.S. destroyer USS McFaul arrived later. Its crew helped persuade the 10 suspected pirates to surrender and then took them into custody, the Fifth Fleet said.
"It's something we have to be prepared for now," McFaul Executive Officer Lt. Cmdr. Matt Pederson told The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot from the McFaul. "It's a scourge."
Somalia has had no effective central government since 1991, when the former government was toppled by clan militias that later turned on each other.
© 2010 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
MOGADISHU, Somalia, April 8 (UPI) -- Suspected pirates hijacking ships along Somalia's lawless coast have overtaken at least three ships and nearly 60 crew members this week, naval officials said.
The incidents are the latest in a string of hijackings of at least 16 ships and an estimated 240 crew members since the end of the monsoon season in recent weeks.
Suspected pirates hijacked the South Korean supertanker Samho Dream Sunday with 24 sailors on board and warned a South Korean warship chasing the supertanker to stay away or risk endangering the crew's safety, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Thursday.
Suspected Somali pirates hijacked the Turkish vessel MV Yasin C with a crew of 25 off the Kenyan coast Wednesday, said the European Union Naval Force, charged with helping to prevent piracy off Somalia's coast.
The Wednesday hijacking followed the commandeering by suspected Somali pirates of an Indian cargo dhow, a traditional Arab sailing vessel, and the drowning of a hostage Tuesday after the dhow was used to attack another vessel and navies, including from the United States, intervened.
The suspected pirates aboard the commandeered dhow Faize Osamani tried to attack the MV Rising Sun, which evaded the attack and sent a distress signal, the U.S. Fifth Fleet said.
An Omani warship arrived first and the nine hostages jumped overboard to swim away from the pirates. One hostage drowned and the eight others were rescued, the Fifth Fleet said.
The U.S. destroyer USS McFaul arrived later. Its crew helped persuade the 10 suspected pirates to surrender and then took them into custody, the Fifth Fleet said.
"It's something we have to be prepared for now," McFaul Executive Officer Lt. Cmdr. Matt Pederson told The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot from the McFaul. "It's a scourge."
Somalia has had no effective central government since 1991, when the former government was toppled by clan militias that later turned on each other.
© 2010 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Pirates abandon Turkish-flagged ship off Kenya
(Reuters) - Pirates have abandoned a Turkish-flagged bulk carrier they hijacked while it was en route to the Kenyan port of Mombasa, leaving its crew of 25 unharmed, the head of a regional maritime body said on Saturday. More...
(Reuters) - Pirates have abandoned a Turkish-flagged bulk carrier they hijacked while it was en route to the Kenyan port of Mombasa, leaving its crew of 25 unharmed, the head of a regional maritime body said on Saturday. More...
US Navy holds 6 suspected pirates after battle
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. Navy is holding six suspected pirates after a sea battle off the Horn of Africa.
It's the third U.S. Navy encounter with pirates in the past 10 days in the violence-plagued waters off Somalia and nearby regions. At least 21 suspected pirates have been captured.
The U.S. Navy says suspected pirates began shooting at the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland Saturday, about 380 miles off Djibouti, a small nation facing Yemen across the mouth of the Red Sea.
The Navy says the Ashland returned fire and the suspected pirate skiff was destroyed. All six people on board were rescued and taken aboard the Ashland.
The Ashland suffered no injuries or damage.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. Navy is holding six suspected pirates after a sea battle off the Horn of Africa.
It's the third U.S. Navy encounter with pirates in the past 10 days in the violence-plagued waters off Somalia and nearby regions. At least 21 suspected pirates have been captured.
The U.S. Navy says suspected pirates began shooting at the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland Saturday, about 380 miles off Djibouti, a small nation facing Yemen across the mouth of the Red Sea.
The Navy says the Ashland returned fire and the suspected pirate skiff was destroyed. All six people on board were rescued and taken aboard the Ashland.
The Ashland suffered no injuries or damage.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Somali pirates warn S. Korean destroyer to stay awayBy HYUNG-JIN KIM (AP)
SEOUL, South Korea — Somali pirates warned a South Korean destroyer chasing a hijacked supertanker with 24 sailors on board not to get any closer or else risk endangering the crew, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Thursday.
All crew members of the South Korean-operated, Marshall Island-flagged Samho Dream are safe, the pirates said by phone Wednesday through the tanker's captain in the first contact since the hijacking Sunday in the Indian Ocean.
However, "the safety of the sailors will be in jeopardy" if the destroyer sails any closer, the pirates warned, a ministry official said.
Pirates have been on a streak of ship hijackings in recent weeks, with at least 16 ships and some 240 crew members believed held captive off Somalia's lawless coast.
Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991, and multimillion-dollar ransoms have become a way to make money in the impoverished nation. More...
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Korean Navy destroyer nears supertanker seized by Somali pirates
A South Korean navy destroyer has caught up with a hijacked supertanker under control of Somali pirates, an official at Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. The destroyer has tracked down the 300,000-ton tanker, Samho Dream, heading to Somali waters, the official told reporters. "The destroyer, Chungmugong Yi Sun-shin, arrived in waters near the Samho Dream at around 1:20 a.m. [Korean time] and is now operating in its vicinity," he said. More...
A South Korean navy destroyer has caught up with a hijacked supertanker under control of Somali pirates, an official at Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. The destroyer has tracked down the 300,000-ton tanker, Samho Dream, heading to Somali waters, the official told reporters. "The destroyer, Chungmugong Yi Sun-shin, arrived in waters near the Samho Dream at around 1:20 a.m. [Korean time] and is now operating in its vicinity," he said. More...
Dutch navy frees German cargo ship, arrests 10 pirates
[UPDATE 04-08-10]
THE HAGUE — The Dutch navy freed Monday a German cargo ship that had been boarded by pirates off the coast of Somalia and arrested 10 of the attackers, the Dutch defence ministry announced.
The Dutch frigate Tromp rescued the ship and its crew at around 1140 GMT about 900 kilometres (560 miles) east of the Somali coast, the ministry said in a statement.
A Dutch soldier was slightly wounded in the operation during which the troops exchanged gunfire with the pirates who had come aboard with the help of a mothership and two attack boats.
The frigate had received a distress signal from the German container ship Taipan about four hours earlier, the statement said.
"The ship had been attacked by pirates and the crew had hidden in a secure space on board," the ministry said.
When it arrived, the frigate sounded alerts and fired warning shots which sent the mothership fleeing, it said.
Navy commandos then descended from a helicopter onto the bridge of the Taipan and arrested 10 pirates, it said. The 15 members of the crew emerged "safe and sound".
"Despite the damage on the bridge caused during the operation, the boat was able to continue its route alone," it said.
The arrested pirates were taken onboard the Dutch frigate.
It had not been decided what would be done with them, defence ministry spokesman Robin Middel told AFP, without giving the nationalities of the pirates or the crew of the German vessel.
The Dutch navy launched the operation as part of an EU naval mission called Operation Atalanta which protects shipping along the key route off Somalia.
EU Navfor has said that in March it collared 18 pirate gangs, destroyed 22 skiffs and apprehended some 131 pirates for prosecution.
But there are eight vessels and 157 hostages in the hands of Somali pirates, an official said on March 31.
[UPDATE 04-08-10]
THE HAGUE — The Dutch navy freed Monday a German cargo ship that had been boarded by pirates off the coast of Somalia and arrested 10 of the attackers, the Dutch defence ministry announced.
The Dutch frigate Tromp rescued the ship and its crew at around 1140 GMT about 900 kilometres (560 miles) east of the Somali coast, the ministry said in a statement.
A Dutch soldier was slightly wounded in the operation during which the troops exchanged gunfire with the pirates who had come aboard with the help of a mothership and two attack boats.
The frigate had received a distress signal from the German container ship Taipan about four hours earlier, the statement said.
"The ship had been attacked by pirates and the crew had hidden in a secure space on board," the ministry said.
When it arrived, the frigate sounded alerts and fired warning shots which sent the mothership fleeing, it said.
Navy commandos then descended from a helicopter onto the bridge of the Taipan and arrested 10 pirates, it said. The 15 members of the crew emerged "safe and sound".
"Despite the damage on the bridge caused during the operation, the boat was able to continue its route alone," it said.
The arrested pirates were taken onboard the Dutch frigate.
It had not been decided what would be done with them, defence ministry spokesman Robin Middel told AFP, without giving the nationalities of the pirates or the crew of the German vessel.
The Dutch navy launched the operation as part of an EU naval mission called Operation Atalanta which protects shipping along the key route off Somalia.
EU Navfor has said that in March it collared 18 pirate gangs, destroyed 22 skiffs and apprehended some 131 pirates for prosecution.
But there are eight vessels and 157 hostages in the hands of Somali pirates, an official said on March 31.
Captain's Book Details How He Foiled and Infuriated Somali Pirates
When pirates attacked Capt. Richard Phillips' ship last April, he tried to fend them off by firing warning flares at them, popping up between bursts of fire from AK-47s to zing a fiery flare at them.
Phillips was hoping for a lucky shot that would ignite something in their skiff, but he kept aiming flares at the four pirates even after they were aboard the Maersk Alabama and were spraying the captain's bridge with gunfire.
He says that was his first mistake -- taking too long to retreat to a safe room where he could lock himself in and the pirates would be unable to maneuver the ship and would have no bargaining chips.
In his new book "A Captain's Duty" Phillips recounts the harrowing ordeal at the hands four Somali pirates last April, and details for the first time what happened aboard the cargo ship and how he and his crew frustrated and fooled the pirates.
Phillips' account comes as pirate activity in the Indian Ocean appears to be escalating along with more attempts to fight off the pirates. Just this week, a South Korean warship is pursuing a supertanker grabbed by pirates that is loaded with $160 million worth of crude oil.
When pirates attacked Capt. Richard Phillips' ship last April, he tried to fend them off by firing warning flares at them, popping up between bursts of fire from AK-47s to zing a fiery flare at them.
Phillips was hoping for a lucky shot that would ignite something in their skiff, but he kept aiming flares at the four pirates even after they were aboard the Maersk Alabama and were spraying the captain's bridge with gunfire.
He says that was his first mistake -- taking too long to retreat to a safe room where he could lock himself in and the pirates would be unable to maneuver the ship and would have no bargaining chips.
In his new book "A Captain's Duty" Phillips recounts the harrowing ordeal at the hands four Somali pirates last April, and details for the first time what happened aboard the cargo ship and how he and his crew frustrated and fooled the pirates.
Phillips' account comes as pirate activity in the Indian Ocean appears to be escalating along with more attempts to fight off the pirates. Just this week, a South Korean warship is pursuing a supertanker grabbed by pirates that is loaded with $160 million worth of crude oil.
Monday, April 5, 2010
South Korea navy destroyer in pursuit of Somali pirates
South Korea today sent a naval destroyer in pursuit of an oil tanker captured Sunday by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden. The tanker holds some $170 million of crude oil.
"Reuters reports that a pirate source told the news agency the ship was being taken to Haradheere, a port frequented by pirates where many ships are held during ransom negotiations. Reuters also reports that the destroyer is faster than the tanker and will be able to catch up to the tanker before it reaches port." More...
South Korea today sent a naval destroyer in pursuit of an oil tanker captured Sunday by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden. The tanker holds some $170 million of crude oil.
"Reuters reports that a pirate source told the news agency the ship was being taken to Haradheere, a port frequented by pirates where many ships are held during ransom negotiations. Reuters also reports that the destroyer is faster than the tanker and will be able to catch up to the tanker before it reaches port." More...
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Somali pirates 'release two Indian boats'
AHMEDABAD, India — Somali pirates released two of the eight Indian boats hijacked in recent weeks, freeing 26 sailors, a shipping body told AFP on Sunday.
Reports in New Delhi said the ships were on their way to Dubai when they were hijacked after leaving a port in the rebel territory of Kismayo in Somalia.
"One vessel with 15 sailors on board was released by the pirates yesterday, while another one was freed early this morning along with 11 sailors," said Kasam Ali, president of the Kutch Vahanvati Association in Gujarat.
He said the pirates had stripped one vessel of equipment, while the other had run out of fuel.
About 80 Indian sailors are still thought to be held on the remaining six ships near the Seychelles.
India, whose merchant navy has frequently been targeted off the coast of Somalia, has a warship in the region.
Somali pirates, targeting one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes, raked in an estimated 60 million dollars in ransoms last year.
Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved
AHMEDABAD, India — Somali pirates released two of the eight Indian boats hijacked in recent weeks, freeing 26 sailors, a shipping body told AFP on Sunday.
Reports in New Delhi said the ships were on their way to Dubai when they were hijacked after leaving a port in the rebel territory of Kismayo in Somalia.
"One vessel with 15 sailors on board was released by the pirates yesterday, while another one was freed early this morning along with 11 sailors," said Kasam Ali, president of the Kutch Vahanvati Association in Gujarat.
He said the pirates had stripped one vessel of equipment, while the other had run out of fuel.
About 80 Indian sailors are still thought to be held on the remaining six ships near the Seychelles.
India, whose merchant navy has frequently been targeted off the coast of Somalia, has a warship in the region.
Somali pirates, targeting one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes, raked in an estimated 60 million dollars in ransoms last year.
Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved
Piracy Prone Areas and Warnings: UPDATE
Mariners are warned to be extra cautious and to take necessary precautionary measures when transiting the following areas: Link to IMB
Mariners are warned to be extra cautious and to take necessary precautionary measures when transiting the following areas: Link to IMB
Pirate Season is Heating Up
April 2, 2010 - 1:23 PM by: Mike Emanuel
U.S. Navy ships have had two clashes with pirates in less than 24 hours.
April 2, 2010 - 1:23 PM by: Mike Emanuel
U.S. Navy ships have had two clashes with pirates in less than 24 hours.
Most recently, the destroyer Farragut disarmed pirates and sank the mother skiff off the coast of Somalia after responding to an attack on a Sierra Leone-flagged tanker.
That was after the USS Nicholas crew came under fire by a group of suspected Somali pirates just before 12:30 a.m. Thursday morning.
The Nicholas incident took place hundreds of miles west of the Seychelles Islands, and the Farragut response was approximately 800 miles northwest of the Seychelles.
Navy sources tell Fox when monsoon season ends off the coast of Africa, pirate season heats up. It becomes easier for the pirates to maneuver and choose their targets.
Pirates typically target commercial ships hoping that companies or governments will pay ransom. As one expert put it, “for the pirates, it’s a business.”
Jim Arkedis, a former counterterrorism and security analyst at the Naval Criminal Investigative Service who now works at Progressive Policy Institute, says clashes with the U.S. Navy are either bad timing or a case of mistaken identity.
“A lot of these pirates who are a long way from home off the Somali coast are potentially under the influence of alcohol and drugs. That's how their leadership back in Somalia gets them to engage and be so aggressive,” Arkedis told Fox.
A Naval commander dealing with the piracy issue also warns the attackers are also becoming bolder and targeting ships much farther away from the Somali shores.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Navies struggle with 'swarming' pirates
By Nick Childs BBC News
The British admiral in charge of the EU naval force countering the Somali pirate threat off the east coast of Africa has said there has been a huge surge in activity by pirates in recent weeks to try to flood the area.
Rear Adm Peter Hudson told the BBC that the priority for international navies now was to increase co-operation and concentrate forces to counter this new strategy.
But the EU acknowledges that the pirate threat in the region is "an expanding phenomenon", both in terms of level of activity and range.
The EU naval force (Navfor) says the rate of pirate activity it saw in March was double that of the three months from September to November 2009 - the last calm period between monsoons when pirates mostly operate.
Swarm tactics
The main area of concern is now the southern part of what is known as the Somali basin - the Indian Ocean off the Somali coast. And the navies are also having to contend with new pirate tactics. "What we've seen in the last month in the southern part of the Indian Ocean, the Somali basin, is almost swarm tactics by some of the pirates who try to flood the area with action groups," said Adm Hudson.
But the admiral insisted that the international naval forces are able to make a difference. And the navies believe they are reducing the number of successful attacks. "By correctly positioning our aircraft, putting our ships in the right area, we've managed to break up, dismantle, disrupt over 20 of those groups," he said.
Adm Hudson also said that the number of suspected pirates in jail facing prosecution in Kenya and the Seychelles had risen significantly.
Kenya, however, has announced it will no longer take any new pirate suspects, saying it has taken more than its fair share of the "burden".
Still, there were nine hijackings in March. And Adm Hudson acknowledged that the level of activity showed there was still "a big appetite to go and see ships". He suggested there could be "a handful of thousands" of people involved in the different aspects of the area's piracy operations.
There has been growing international concern over the scale of piracy coming from Somalia.
More...
By Nick Childs BBC News
The British admiral in charge of the EU naval force countering the Somali pirate threat off the east coast of Africa has said there has been a huge surge in activity by pirates in recent weeks to try to flood the area.
Rear Adm Peter Hudson told the BBC that the priority for international navies now was to increase co-operation and concentrate forces to counter this new strategy.
But the EU acknowledges that the pirate threat in the region is "an expanding phenomenon", both in terms of level of activity and range.
The EU naval force (Navfor) says the rate of pirate activity it saw in March was double that of the three months from September to November 2009 - the last calm period between monsoons when pirates mostly operate.
Swarm tactics
The main area of concern is now the southern part of what is known as the Somali basin - the Indian Ocean off the Somali coast. And the navies are also having to contend with new pirate tactics. "What we've seen in the last month in the southern part of the Indian Ocean, the Somali basin, is almost swarm tactics by some of the pirates who try to flood the area with action groups," said Adm Hudson.
But the admiral insisted that the international naval forces are able to make a difference. And the navies believe they are reducing the number of successful attacks. "By correctly positioning our aircraft, putting our ships in the right area, we've managed to break up, dismantle, disrupt over 20 of those groups," he said.
Adm Hudson also said that the number of suspected pirates in jail facing prosecution in Kenya and the Seychelles had risen significantly.
Kenya, however, has announced it will no longer take any new pirate suspects, saying it has taken more than its fair share of the "burden".
Still, there were nine hijackings in March. And Adm Hudson acknowledged that the level of activity showed there was still "a big appetite to go and see ships". He suggested there could be "a handful of thousands" of people involved in the different aspects of the area's piracy operations.
There has been growing international concern over the scale of piracy coming from Somalia.
More...
Taiwan fishing vessel feared captured by pirates
Taiwan says it fears a Taiwanese fishing boat may have been hijacked by pirates off the Somali coast.
The Foreign Ministry said Thursday that the island lost contact with the 79-ton Jih-chun Tsai 68 fishing trawler the day before.
The ministry said it came to believe the vessel might have been captured when a trawler that appeared to be Taiwanese launched an attack on another Taiwanese fishing boat off the Somali coast. That second fishing vessel has managed to escape to safety, the government-owned Central News Agency reported.
The ministry says it has asked the U.S. and Britain for help.
Pirate attacks have continued to climb despite the presence of around 35 warships from various nations patrolling the waters off of lawless Somalia.
Taiwan says it fears a Taiwanese fishing boat may have been hijacked by pirates off the Somali coast.
The Foreign Ministry said Thursday that the island lost contact with the 79-ton Jih-chun Tsai 68 fishing trawler the day before.
The ministry said it came to believe the vessel might have been captured when a trawler that appeared to be Taiwanese launched an attack on another Taiwanese fishing boat off the Somali coast. That second fishing vessel has managed to escape to safety, the government-owned Central News Agency reported.
The ministry says it has asked the U.S. and Britain for help.
Pirate attacks have continued to climb despite the presence of around 35 warships from various nations patrolling the waters off of lawless Somalia.
Turkish commandos seize 9 pirates in Gulf of Aden
Reuters: Apr 1, 2010 2:56pm EDT
Reuters: Apr 1, 2010 2:56pm EDT
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish commandos have captured nine pirates aboard a boat in the Gulf of Aden, the Turkish Armed Forces said in a statement on Thursday.
The frigate Gelibolu, serving as part of a NATO anti-piracy mission, intercepted the pirate skiff while monitoring the security corridor for merchant shipping 80 miles from the coast on Wednesday, the statement said. "Commandos performed maneuvers to intercept the boat and captured nine pirates on board," it added.
The Turkish Armed Forces' website published photos of the pirates at sea in their skiff and later, after their capture, holding their hands above their heads.
Seaborne gangs have increased their attacks in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden in recent months, making tens of millions of dollars in ransoms from seizing ships, including tankers and dry bulkers. Several vessels have been hijacked this week alone.
(Reporting by Alexandra Hudson)
Thursday, April 1, 2010
U.S. warship captures suspected pirate mother shipA U.S. warship sank a pirate skiff and captured a pirate mother ship in the Indian Ocean on Thursday, according to a statement from U.S. Naval Forces Africa.
The frigate USS Nicholas came under fire from a pirate vessel shortly after midnight in international waters west of the Seychelles, according to a U.S. military statement.
The Nicholas returned fire and pursued the skiff as it fled, capturing it about 90 minutes later. Three suspected pirates aboard the skiff were taken into custody, along with two others aboard a suspected pirate mother ship that was nearby.
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