News

29-03-2010

Somali Pirates Hijack Merchant Ship with 24 Crew

AFP - AP - Somali pirates have seized a merchant vessel and 24 of the ship's crew members in the Gulf of Aden.

Maritime monitoring officials say pirates boarded and hijacked the Iceberg I vessel Monday just 15 kilometers from the port of Aden on the Yemeni coast.

The pirates were reported to be sailing the ship toward Somalia.

On Sunday, Somali pirates demanded a $3 million ransom for a North Korean-flagged cargo ship hijacked early last month.

Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya-based East African Seafarers Assistance Program said the pirates threatened to kill the 10 Syrian crew members on board the MV Rim.

Pirates seized the Libyan-owned ship on February 3 in the Gulf of Aden.

Somali pirates have hijacked dozens of ships over the last few years, taking in tens of millions of dollars in ransom.