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MV Izumi Released by Pirates
The MV Izumi, which was pirated on 10 October 2010, was released from pirate control on 25 February. The Panama-flagged vessel and her Filipino crew of 20 are believed to be making for a safe port. There is no information on the condition of the vessel or the crew.
Admiral Provides Details of Somali Piracy Killings
Four pirates are dead and 15 are in custody, but not before they killed four Americans in the bloodiest piracy incident in recent history, the commander of U.S.
U.S. Forces Respond to Pirate Attack on S/V Quest
At approximately 1 a.m. EST Feb. 22, while negotiations were ongoing to secure the release of four American hostages, U.S. forces responded to gunfire aboard the pirated vessel (S/V) Quest. As they responded to the gunfire, reaching and boarding the Quest, the forces discovered all four hostages had been shot by their captors. Despite immediate steps to provide life-saving care, all four hostages ultimately died of their wounds.
USS Sterett, Named for Pirate Fighter, Lead Rescue Attempt
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Sterett, which took the lead in the failed U.S. attempt to rescue Americans from Somali pirates, is on its first active-duty cruise.
Fishing Vessel Believed Pirated in the Gulf of Aden
On February 13, the Yemeni Fishing Vessel Alfardous was believed to have been pirated close to Socotra Island in the Gulf of Aden. The vessel has a reported crew of eight, nationalities presently not known. There is no further information on the condition of the crew. EUNAVFOR is monitoring the situation. There are now at least 31 vessels and 694 hostages being held by pirates off the coast of Somalia. A list of FV Alfardous and other pirated vessels can be found here
Mace Personal Defense Joins Piracy Battle
In an effort to combat the rapidly growing levels of piracy and armed robbery against ships around the world, Mace Personal Defense, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Mace Security International, Inc.
SharpEye Radar Improves Pirate Detection
The value of being able to detect small vessels approaching in any weather conditions, and automatically identify potentially hostile behaviour, is highlighted by…
Italian Oil Tanker Pirated in Indian Ocean
In the early hours of February 8, the Oil Tanker MV Savina Caylyn was pirated approximately 670 nautical miles East of Socotra Island in the Indian Ocean. The vessel was boarded after a sustained attack by one skiff with 5 suspected pirates firing small arms and four rocket propelled grenades. The MV Savina Caylyn has a deadweight of 104,255 tonnes and is Italian flagged and owned. The vessel was on passage to Pasir Gudang (Malaysia) from Bashayer (Sudan) when it was attacked.
USS Momsen and Bunker Hill Disrupt Pirate Attack
USS Momsen (DDG 92) and USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) disrupted a pirate attack on Panamanian flagged merchant vessel Duqm, Feb. 2 in the Gulf of Oman. While transiting in international waters, the merchant vessel reported that pirates were attempting to board the vessel. Momsen and Bunker Hill, which were in the vicinity, immediately responded to the Duqm's distress signal and caused two pirates skiffs alongside the vessel with ladders against its hull to flee the area.
Pirates Reportedly Execute Seafarer, UN Anti-Piracy Action Plan
The United Nations (UN) issued a news release stating that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling for a long-term strategy of deterrence, security, rule of law…
NATO Warship Frees Crew from Pirates
On 29 January, Dutch warship HNLMS De Ruyter, part of NATO's counter-piracy operation Ocean Shield, freed the crew from merchant vessel New York Star after they had barricaded themselves into a “safe room,” (also known as a “citadel”) when their ship came under attack by pirates. As the pirates climbed on board, the master of the New York Star was able to put out a mayday call, which was picked up by an Australian maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), which was on counter-piracy patrol in the area.
Navy Rescues 20 from Pirates
The Indian Navy and the Coast Guard reportedly intercepted a vessel used by Somali pirates, 200 miles off Kochi in the Arabian Sea, following a joint operation.
FV Tai Yuan 227 Released by Pirates
Although exact details surrounding the situation are not known at this time, there are indications that the Taiwanese flagged fishing vessel Tai Juan 227 has been released from pirate control. The vessel, which had a crew of 28 (Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipinos, Kenyans and Mozambicans) at the time of the attack, was pirated on 6 May 2010 whilst operating 700 Nm North East of The Seychelles. Although direct contact with the crew has not been possible…
MV Beluga Nomination Pirated in Indian Ocean
After four days of uncertainty regarding the exact status of the crew, MV Beluga Nomination is now believed to be pirated. On the afternoon of 22 January 2011, the MV Beluga Nomination was attacked by a skiff, with an unknown number of suspected pirates on board. Small arms were used against the vessel during the attack. The attack took place in the Indian Ocean, 390 nautical miles north of the Seychelles.
S.Korean Shipbuilder’s Anti-Piracy System
According to a report from AFP, South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries has rolled out a system to help ships detect and fend off pirates, after the recent hijacking…
S. Korea Navy Praised Over Pirate Rescue
According to a report from AFP, Seoul newspapers on Jan. 22 praised South Korean navy commandos who battled pirates off the coast of Somalia to release captured crew.
MV Khaled Muhieddine K Pirated in the Arabian Sea
During the afternoon of 20 January, the bulk carrier MV Khaled Muhieddine K was pirated in the North Arabian Sea approximately 330 nautical miles South East of the Omani coastal port of Salalah. The vessel is Togo flagged and Syrian owned and has a deadweight of 24,022 tonnes. Authorities were made aware of the attack when the master reported being fired upon with small arms and seeing pirates on board. All contact with the vessel was then lost.
Hoang Son Sun Pirated, Indian Ocean
The MV Hoang Son Sun is believed to have been pirated approximately 520 nautical miles South East of the port of Muscat, Oman. The 22,835-tonne Bulk carrier, which is Mongolian flagged and Vietnamese owned, has a crew of 24 Vietnamese nationals. No further details of the attack are known at this stage. MV Hoang Son Sun was not registered with MSC(HOA) and had not reported to UKMTO. There are now 30 vessels and 723 hostages being held by pirates off the coast of Somalia.
Photo: MV Motivator Released by Pirates
As reported earlier, the Product Tanker MV Motivator was released from pirate control earlier this week. The Marshall Islands flagged vessel, which was pirated on in the Southern Red Sea on 4 July and has a crew of 18 Filipino nationals, was released on the 16 January approximately 160 nautical miles South- West of the island of Socotra near to the coast of Somalia. The EUNAVFOR warship FS Jacoubet and the helicopter TORO06 from SPS Canaria assisted the crew immediately after their release.
S. Korea Pledges to Protect Ships from Piracy
According to a Jan. 17 report from Yonhap, South Korea condemned piracy and pledged to take better measures to protect its ships from the "unacceptable" act after…