Somali pirates have opened fire on a third cargo ship off the Horn of Africa, Nato officials have said.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
NATO staff officer Stephan Gresmak said that in the latest ambush, 10 pirates on board three skiffs fired automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades at the Safmarine Asia.
It was not known whether anyone aboard the 21,887-tonne, Liberian cargo vessel was injured in the attack.
Earlier, Nato's Maritime Headquarters confirmed that the Lebanese-owned MV Sea Horse had been boarded by pirates.
It was hijacked after pirates had also seized the MV Irene EM, a Greek-managed bulk carrier sailing from the Middle East to South Asia.
Somalian bandits appear undeterred by a US and French hostage rescue operation that has killed five pirates in the past week.
Pirates have vowed to retaliate for the killing of their colleagues - a threat which the top US military officer has said he is taking seriously.