By MOHAMMED IBRAHIM
The African Seafarers’ Assistance Program, based in Kenya, identified the vessel as a cargo ship, the Filitsa, Reuters reported. Andrew Mwangura, a spokesman for the program, told Reuters the Filitsa was sailing under a Marshall Islands flag and carrying chemicals to South Africa from Kuwait.
A pirate who gave his name only as Abdi said in a telephone interview that the hijacking followed a clash on Monday when international naval forces patrolling the Indian Ocean opened fire on three speedboats carrying pirates, hitting four men on board one of the boats. It was not clear if the four men were wounded or had been killed, Abdi said.
The pirates in the other two boats escaped and commandeered the Filitsa while out searching for their colleagues, Abdi said.
The Associated Press identified the ship attacked Monday as the BW Lion, an oil tanker flying under the Hong Kong flag. The pirates used automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades in the attack, which took place about 1,000 miles east of the Somali coast, farther out to sea than any previous assault, The A.P. reported.
The European Union Naval Force said the tanker’s skipper increased speed and took evasive maneuvers to escape the pirates.
The pirates are currently holding more than 190 hostages, including a British couple seized aboard their yacht off the Seychelles in October, The A.P. said.
Source: NY Times, Nov 11, 2009