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Italian navy arrests nine Somali pirates: spokesman
Rome (AFP) May 22, 2009 Italian navymen on Friday arrested nine Somali pirates who were trying to seize a Liberian-owned merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden, a naval press spokesman said. "Today, around 0600 GMT, our Maestrale frigate received a distress call from a merchant ship, the Maria K, that had been attacked by a pirate boat, while it was less than 20 kilometres (12 miles) away" from the Italian vessel, he told AFP. The spokesman said the ship's helicopter fired several warning shots before the Maestrale arrived on the scene to make the arrests. According to ANSA news agency, prosecutors in Rome will question the pirates via videolink from the Maestrale in the next few days. The Maria K is registered in the Caribbean island of St Vincent and the Grenadines. The arrests come as Italy gears up to host a meeting on June 10 to address the roots of Somalia's piracy crisis. According to the International Maritime Bureau, pirate attacks off the Horn of Africa country, in the first quarter of this year surged tenfold to 61, compared with the same period in 2008, when six attacks occurred. A total of 114 attempted attacks have occurred since the start of the year, and pirates have seized 29 ships. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links 21st Century Pirates
SKorean helicopter off Somalia to get anti-missile equipmentSeoul (AFP) May 21, 2009 A South Korean helicopter operating in Somali waters will be fitted with equipment to protect it from possible missile attacks by pirates, officials said Thursday. South Korea has dispatched a destroyer carrying a crew of 300 and a Lynx helicopter to join an international naval force off the east African nation. The helicopter has no proper anti-missile equipment, the Joint Chiefs of ... read more |
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