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| Africa Horn |
| Malaysian and Saudi Navy choppers foil pirate attack |
| 2009-01-02 |
| KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian maritime forces saved an Indian tanker from being hijacked yesterday, foiling the new year's first attack by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said. But, soon after, another gang of pirates succeeded in hijacking a 28-crew Egyptian cargo ship, Blue Star, near the Horn of Africa nation, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said yesterday. 'The crew are hostages... there are efforts under way to conduct the necessary talks to free the ship,' said spokesman Ahmed Rizq. The Blue Star was carrying 6,000 tonnes of fertiliser and was headed east, when the heavily armed pirates attacked. The Indian tanker had a narrow escape. Carrying a full load of oil and 40 crew, it was steaming towards the Suez Canal when it was attacked by two small boats, one of which carried seven pirates dressed in military-style uniforms, said Mr Noel Choong, an official from the Kuala Lumpur-based IMB. 'They came close to the ship and started firing machine guns, hitting the bridge and the accommodation area,' he said. The pirates, believed to be Somalis, tried to board the vessel several times while 'firing repeatedly' but failed, Mr Choong said. The captain increased the ship's speed to maximum, made evasive manoeuvres and sent an SOS, which was received by a Malaysian frigate, KD Sri Inderah Sakti, only 15 nautical miles away. The frigate dispatched a Fennec light military helicopter, which arrived within minutes, said Mr Choong. On spotting the helicopter, the pirates stopped firing and fled. There were no injuries to the crew but the tanker sustained some damage. The Malaysian rescue comes as more and more countries are sending warships to join a multinational naval force to protect commercial vessels passing through one of the world's most important sea routes. On Christmas Day, a German helicopter similarly saved an Egyptian ship off Somalia. The Malaysians, who are part of the multinational task force, also saved a Chinese ship less than two weeks ago. The rescues are a sign that foreign navies patrolling the key shipping lane linking Europe and Asia are adopting more effective tactics against the surge in piracy in waters off Somalia. More than a dozen warships are now patrolling the vast gulf including those from Britain, India, Iran, the United States, China, France and Germany. 'Despite the increased naval presence, the pirates are still finding loopholes to attack ships like this, highlighting the need for more effective anti-piracy measures,' said Mr Choong. The rise in attacks on shipping prompted Nato ships to begin anti-piracy operations off the Somali coast last October, joined by other nations such as China and India. Last year, 111 ships were reported to have been attacked and 42 hijacked. Fourteen of the hijacked vessels and more than 240 crew members are still being held by pirates. Nearly 20,000 ships pass through the Gulf of Aden each year on their way to and from the Suez Canal. |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #3 Mast is over the yardarm thar OP.... What would 'ye suggest? (hurry!) |
| Posted by: .5MT 2009-01-02 16:30 |
| #2 All the ships in the world won't do any good if you don't hit them where they live. Bomb the he$$ out of their home ports, and they'll give up piracy as being too expensive to pursue. Until you do, they'll keep playing these $%^#%^$% games. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2009-01-02 12:32 |
| #1 A shipload of fertilizer and a tanker of oil - the makings of a heck of an Oklahoma City truck bomb? A Hiroshima nuke sized truck bomb, if you could make it all go 'boom' before flying apart. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2009-01-02 09:10 |