Pirates have made another attempt to hijack a ship, this time north of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden, the Nato Shipping Centre reports.
The agency said on Friday that the Motor Vessel Ryu Gyong, a bulk carrier sailing under the North Korean flag, was attacked late on Thursday east of Mukalla, Yemen.
"The vessel witnessed a pirate mother ship launch two skiffs," the shipping centre said. "The skiffs and mother ship followed the Ryu Gyong for approximately two nautical miles, firing automatic weapons and a rocket-propelled grenade."
The ship is one of six which have been unsuccessfully attacked by pirates since the beginning of April, according to reports from the Nato centre and the Piracy Reporting Centre of the International Maritime Bureau. One is the Maersk Alabama, the American vessel which was initially seized by pirates but is now back under the control of its crew.
The Nato centre said the Ryu Gyong had been threatened four times off the east coast of Somalia between March 20 and 24. It had been approached by pirates twice and was attacked twice.
The centre's website on Friday listed 18 vessels, including dhows and a yacht, which are currently under the control of pirates. Most are being held on the east coast of Somalia. The majority have been seized since early March, but some were hijacked as long ago as last August.
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Pirates must be blown off their heads.Greedy and uncivilised people,holding on emergency food supplies whilst the innocent children and woman suffer.
Tendai Sean joe
Whilst i am against these PIRATES why doesnt someone find out the root of the problem that is making them to do it and sort it out once and for all- someone was telling me that these guys were once fishermen and their industry has been lost - if thisis the case why not try to revive it for them
If their livelihoods have been affected shouldn't they sit in their country and agree on some order to stabilise their government machinery like we re all doing in our respective countries along the indian Ocean? They are just criminals! Have always been! Even the Somalis in our countries hardly ever engage in honest jobs they always have to find work that has criminal elements in it. We are all along the Indian Ocean recently a ship was caught outside our shores with a lot of fish being poached isn't this fish from Indian Ocean? Come on! They must commit to restore order in their country for starters! The world does not owe them!
First of all, it is not the world's job to find jobs for these people.
Second, the reason they continue to do this is greed, plain and simple. They made a living fishing, then got pissed off at what they saw as other people poaching "their waters" so they started taking fishing boats.
Then they realized they could make more money as criminals taking ships than as fishermen.
Screw them. They have made their decision and lost their chance to live legitimate lives. If they want to continue piratical acts then they will be dealt with accordingly soo enough. By people with bigger guns than them.
Now i know there pirates have a death wish, North Korea of all countries to try and mess with. North Korea could consider testing their nuclear weapons on Somalia.