Monday, August 02, 2010
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Somali pirates hijacked a Panama flagged merchant vessel early today which included crew members from Sri Lanka, the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) in Somalia said in a statement this afternoon.The MV SUEZ reported being under small arms fire from a pirate attack and minutes later she reported pirates on board. After notification of the attack, attempts were made to make contact with the MV SUEZ but to no avail, EU NAVFOR said.
MV SUEZ was travelling in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) when attacked. Immediately after the first report a helicopter was directed to the ship but pirates had already taken over the command of the vessel.
The MV SUEZ, deadweight 17, 300 tonnes with a crew of 23 (Egypt, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India Nationalities), is a Panama flagged merchant vessel with a cargo of cement bags. EU NAVFOR is monitoring the situation.
EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the ‘World Food Program’ (WFP) and vessels of AMISOM, and to protect vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy
Source: Daily Mirror