Pirates strike again
November 22, 2009
A Greek-owned bulk carrier has been hijacked off the coast of Yemen, the latest in a series of pirate hijackings in recent weeks.
"It was hijacked off Yemen late Thursday but we heard of the reports yesterday," Andrew Mwangura, a Kenyan maritime official told AFP on Sunday.
He added that he had yet to determine the crew, destination and cargo of the Panama-flagged vessel, the Red Sea Spirit.
Hijackings in the Gulf of Aden area are now rare since they are heavily policed by foreign navies aiming to crack down on piracy. The EU has sent a fleet of warships to international waters off Somalia to help fight the rising tide of piracy there.
Pirate groups have responded by setting their sights on the Indian Ocean - which is wider and more difficult to patrol - and have ventured out as far as the Seychelles.
Attacks subsided during monsoon season, but have increased in recent months. Somali pirates are currently holding at least 13 vessels and more than 200 crew.
Piracy attacks around the world during the year to October 20 totaled 324, according to figures from the ICC International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Center.
vj/AFP/Reuters
Editor: Andreas Illmer