Pirates have hijacked a Panamanian-flagged carrier in the waters off Somalia, taking hostage its crew, including 24 Indians and two Burmese nationals
24 Ekim 2009 Cumartesi 09:45
The MV Al Khaliq, a Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier, has been hijacked early this morning off Somalia," AFP quoted a spokeswoman for NATO's London-based anti-piracy mission as saying.
Pirates also opened fire on Italian vessel Jolly Rosso as it was sailing north of the Seychelles, she said on Thursday, adding the 32,000-tonne carrier 'managed to evade the pirates at 18 knots'.
NATO's closest ship in the Somali basin was eight hours away from the Al Khaliq when it was stormed by the heavily armed gunmen.
Since last year, an armada of foreign warships has been patrolling the Gulf of Aden in a bid to stem piracy in the notorious region, which is viewed as one of the busiest maritime trade routes on the globe.
The attack takes to 47 the number of ship-jacking cases during the first nine months of 2009 in the coast of lawless Somalia, which remains a hotbed of piracy despite the presence of multi-national navy forces in the troubled waters.
But the number released by International Maritime Bureau (IMB) indicates a sharp rise in the attacks in Somali waters compared with the 12 cases reported in the same period in 2008
The MV Al Khaliq, a Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier, has been hijacked early this morning off Somalia," AFP quoted a spokeswoman for NATO's London-based anti-piracy mission as saying. 
