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13-12-2010

Somali Pirates Seize Liberian Cargo Vessel

RTTNews - Somali pirates have seized a Liberian cargo vessel in the Indian Ocean, far off the shores of Somalia.

European Union's anti-piracy force -- EU NAVFOR -- said the pirates attacked 'MV Renuar' about 1,000 kilometers off the Indian coast and almost twice the distance off the Somali shores. It has a 24-member crew on board.

The European Union's special naval force said the corsairs were taking the vessel west toward the Somali Coast. However, it could not confirm if the Filipino sailors, who were attacked with small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades, were safe.

This was the second incident last week of the pirates' new strategy of venturing into regions far away from the Somali coast to avoid international warships patrolling shipping routes.

Cargo vessel 'MV Panama' was seized along-with a 23-member Myanmarese crew on Friday off the coast of Tanzania-Mozambique border.

In a report published recently, the maritime watchdog of the International Chamber of Commerce noted that pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden recorded a drastic drop of 44 during a nine-month period from January to September this year.

EU NAVFOR is extending its current patrol and rescue operations off the coast of Somalia in an effort to counter the pirates' tactics of shifting their operations into unexplored areas.

Currently, international anti-piracy forces are conducting regular patrols in the Gulf of Aden, off the Somali coast, and parts of the Indian Ocean.

Piracy continues to be a menace on the vital sea route in the Arabian Sea between Yemen and Somalia, which connects the Gulf and Asia to Europe and beyond via the Suez Canal. It is critical to Gulf oil shipments.

Pirates are currently holding 22 ships and more than 500 crew, demanding multimillion-dollar ransoms for their release. Most of the gangs are based in northern Somalia's Puntland region.


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