Monday, January 31, 2011
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said the pirates attacked the fishing vessel on January 27, adding that the pirates threw the bodies of two fishermen overboard after shooting them dead.
The ministry received information about the incident from a radar communication made by the three fishermen who are currently being held hostage by the pirates. The pirates are yet to make any ransom demands.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government said the families of the fishermen have been informed about the incident, and added that it had launched diplomatic efforts to trace the hostages and the hijacked fishing vessel.
Somalia's coastline, particularly the Gulf of Aden, has been infected with piracy in recent years. Pirates are presently believed to be holding 29 vessels and 693 hostages off the Somali coast. The incidents mostly end with payment of ransom after lengthy negotiations, but generally without any fatalities.
Currently, a weak UN-backed interim government under President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed is trying to enforce its authority in Somalia, most of which is presently controlled by various Islamist insurgent groups.
Pirate attacks off the Somali coast continues despite the presence of several warships deployed by navies of the NATO, the European Union, Russia, China, South Korea and India to protect cargo and cruise ships against piracy.
Source: RTT News