Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Andrew Mwangura, the coordinator of the East Africa Seafarers Assistance Program (SAP) said the bulker Bright Ruby was seized in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday as it was sailing from Europe to Asia with cargo.
"The pirates sized Korean bulker Bright Ruby on Wednesday with21 crew on board, en route from Europe to Asia with cargo," Mwngura told Xinhua by telephone from Mombasa.
He could not confirm the nationalities of the crew members onboard the cargo vessel but reports said nine South Korean sailors were among those being held by the pirates.
Mwangura said the attack was the second one on a vessel near Somalia on Wednesday. He said pirates armed with machine guns chased a Greek bulk carrier but failed to hijack it after an international coalition naval force intervened.
"Hours before a Greet Supramax came under attack but navy ship and helicopter warded off pirates," Mwangura said.,
South Korean fishing boats had been previously captured by pirates off Somali coast, and in one instance, sailors were held for more than 100 days before being released.
The surge in attacks has prompted the U.S. Naval Central Command to establish a security corridor in the gulf patrolled by an international coalition of warships.
Armed attacks against fishing boats, cargo ships and yachts along the Somali coast have surged over recent months and foreigners, who can be exchanged for large ransoms, are frequent targets.
Mwangura said currently the Somali gunmen are holding captive 159 crew members of nine ocean-going vessels.
He said the hostages are composed of Pakistani, Bangladeshi, French, Indian, Filipino, Malaysian, Nigerian, Iranian, Ghanaian, Slovenian, Russian, Croatian and Thai nationals.
Source: Xinhua, Sept 10, 2008