NAIROBI, Kenya - Somali pirates on Thursday seized a
Singapore-flagged container ship in the Indian Ocean near the
Seychelles, maritime sources told AFP.
"The Singapore flagged and owned box ship Kota Wajar was seized
around 300 nautical miles north of the Seychelles," said Andrew
Mwangura, who heads the Kenyan chapter of East African Seafarers
Assistance Programme.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said the Kota Wajar
was on her way from Singapore to Mombasa, Kenya when it was seized
at about 1012 hours (Singapore time).
It said in a statement that there are 21 crew on board the vessel,
of which two are Singapore Permanent Residents.
The Maritime and Port Authority added it is currently working with
the ship owner and relevant agencies.
Other maritime sources in the region also confirmed the
hijacking.
A maritime source in the area, who did not wish to be identified,
said that the attack took place early Thursday, 24 nautical miles
from the site of recent attacks on French tuna-fishing boats.
He also said that the attack was only 180 nautical miles from the
Seychelles, inside the archipelago's exclusive economic zone.
The maritime security centre of the European Union, which has an
anti-piracy naval force patrolling waters affected by Somali
piracy, also confirmed the hijacking.
"During the early morning of October 15, 2009, a Singapore-flagged
container ship Kota Wajar was hijacked in the Indian Ocean by
pirates some 300 nautical miles north of the Seychelles," a
statement said.
"An EU NAVFOR maritime patrol aircraft was tasked to investigate
the situation," it said, without providing further details.
The latest hijacking brings to at least six the number of vessels
in the hands of Somali pirates. The others include a Spanish
trawler, a Taiwanese fishing vessel and Ukrainian, German and
Turkish freighters.
According to non-governmental observers Ecoterra International, at
least 163 attacks have been carried out by Somali pirates since the
start of 2009 alone, 47 of them successful hijackings.
A flotilla of foreign warships has since last year been patrolling
the Gulf of Aden, one of the busiest maritime trade routes on the
globe, prompting pirates to hunt down their prey far out in the
Indian Ocean.
Experts had warned in recent days that dropping winds near the
Seychelles had attracted pirates, who generally launch attacks from
so-called "mother ships" with tiny skiffs.