Incident: Pirates claim success in battle

Pirates claim to have seized a Yemeni fishing vessel after a gun battle that left one pirate dead and one wounded. The location of the incident was not named and the prize was taken to Eyl. (Reuters, 10/31/09)

Incident: Avel Vad fired upon

The fishing vessel Avel Vad, while in the Indian Ocean 370NM east of Mogadishu, is chased and fired upon by men in two blue skiffs. "They aborted the attack after warning shots were returned from a security team onboard the fishing vessel." (ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping, 11/11/09)

"Soldiers aboard the [French] tuna boat fired fireworks and warning shots at the pirates, scaring them off." (SAPA)

Incident: Bulk carrier fired upon

A bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden, not otherwise identified, is fired upon by men in two skiffs: "due to effective counter piracy measures, the two skiffs aborted the attempt and moved away." (ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping, 11/11/09)

Incident: Thai Union taken

A fishing vessel, the Thai Union, is taken by pirates in the Indian Ocean 165 NM north of Port Victoria, the Seychelles.

Armed pirates in two skiffs approached the vessel from both sides. The vessel took evasive maneuvers and sent a distress message which was received by the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre and relayed to coalition naval forces to render assistance. A warship was dispatched to the location, but the pirates were able to board and hijack the vessel.

(ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping, 11/11/09)

Incident: Cap Saint Vincent attacked

The European Union Naval Force reports pirates in two skiffs attack the French fishing vessel Cap Saint Vincent in the Indian Ocean 350 miles off Mogadishu.

French military personnel aboard the trawler ... returned fire, French military spokesman Rear Adm. Christophe Prazuck said. It did not appear that any of the shots hit the pirates, he said. A German warship was dispatched to the scene, as was a helicopter, which fired warning shots at the pirates, who then were seen throwing items overboard. Once the warship arrived, seven pirates were detained, the EU Naval Force said. "We've got them on board and we will prosecute them."

(ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping, 11/11/09)

Incident: Container ship fired upon

A container ship, not otherwise identified, is fired upon by "six men armed with machineguns" in a white speedboat after a chase. "The master raised the alarm, conducted counter-piracy preventive measures, and increased to maximum speed. At
a distance of about three cables, the men started firing at the vessel. The men eventually aborted the attack, and the vessel continued underway at maximum speed." The incident occurred 350 NM SE of Mombasa in the Indian Ocean. (ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping, 11/11/09)

Incident: Lynn Rival taken

The sailboat Lynn Rival is hijacked 60NM west of Port Victoria, the Seychelles, en route to Tanzania. (ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping, 11/11/09)

Authorities later confirmed that a yacht towing a skiff is the Lynn Rival and Somali officials say that the couple aboard the craft are being held hostage in Harardhere. (Guardian, 10/29/09)

Lynn Rival was sailing from the Seychelles to Tanzania. The crew was moved to another hijacked vessel,

the container ship MV Kota Wajah moored off Ceel Huur, Somalia. It was later revealed that Royal Navy personnel on board RFA Wave Knight witnessed the transfer of the two crew from the Lynn Rival, but did not intervene for fear of causing casualties among the kidnapped couple. A ransom of $7,000,000 (£4,300,000) has been demanded.

(Wikipedia, "List of ships attacked by Somali pirates," 12/31/09)

Incident: Jolly Rosso fired upon

The RoRo ship Jolly Rosso is fired upon by men in two skiffs armed with rifles and rocket propelled grenades while sailing the Indian Ocean 320 NM southeast of Kismayo, Kenya. The ship increased speed and began evasive action after which the attack was broken off.(ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping, 11/11/09)

Jolly Rosso is registered in Italy. (vesseltracking.com)

Incident: Al Khaliq taken

The bulk carrier Al Khaliq is taken by hijackers with 26 crew aboard after a chase by six pirates on two skiffs. The pirates were armed with rifles and rocket propelled grenades which they fired at their target. (ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping, 11/11/09)

Al Khaliq is 179 m long and registered in Panama. (vesseltracker.com)

The ship is Indian owned and was en route from Novorossiysk, Russia to Mombasa, Kenya. (Wikipedia, "List of ships attacked by Somali pirates," 12/31/09)

Incident: De Xin Hai taken

The bulk carrier De Xin Hai is taken by pirates in the Indian Ocean "approximately 325NM northeast of Port Victoria, Seychelles. Pirates boarded and hijacked the vessel while underway. There are 25 crew members onboard." (ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping, 10/21/09)

De Xin Hai is a 225 m long cargo ship registered in China. (vesseltracker.com)

Incident: Thor Spring attacked

The general cargo ship Thor Spring is attacked in the Gulf of Aden by five to six men pursuing their target in a skiff. The pirates fired upon Thor Spring, damaging "funnel, stern area, and accommodation," but gave up their pursuit after 40 minutes. The cargo ship's crew activated fire hoses and strung barbed wire along the railing as the captain took evasive action. (ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping, 10/21/09) Thor Spring is 73 m long and registered in Malta. (vesseltracker.com)

Incident: Koto Wajar taken

The container ship Koto Wajar is taken "approximately 190NM north of Port Victoria, Seychelles. Owners of the vessel received a call stating that the vessel has been attacked and hijacked." No details. (ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping, 10/21/09)

Incident: Vessel pursued

A vessel sailing the Gulf of Aden, not otherwise identified, is approached by a fishing craft which then launches a blue and white skiff containing five armed men. "The skiff approached the vessel with a speed of approximately 20 kts but stopped and abandoned the pursuit at a distance of 0.2NM. The incident lasted approximately 25 minutes." (ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping, 10/21/09)

Incident: Container ship pursued

Six men in masks use a 21-foot white speedboat to pursue a container ship, not otherwise identified, in the Gulf of Oman 30 NM from Jask, Iran. After forty minuted of evasive action by the target, the attack was broken off. (ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping, 10/21/09)

Incident: Fishing vessels fired upon

The fishing vessels Drennec and Glenan are attacked an hour apart 160-165 NM off Port Victoria, Seychelles. Drennec was attacked first:

Vessel reported coming under fire from two skiffs, one white and one blue. A security team onboard the fishing vessel returned fire, forcing the skiffs to abandon the attack. Coast guard vessels from the nearby Seychelles archipelago pursued one of the skiffs and disabled the engine.

An hour later Glenan

reported coming under fire from two skiffs, shortly after the skiffs reportedly opened fire on the fishing vessel (DRENNEC). A security team onboard fired warning shots, forcing the skiffs to abandon the attack.

(ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping, 10/21/09)

Drennec and Glenan were fishing for Tuna and each had a detail of French marines providing security.

It seems to be clear that the French marines on board of re-flagged French vessels now sailing under the flag of the Seychelles have the authority to use military force and firearms inside the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Seychelles. Some maritime lawyers however foresee legal complications with the use of firearms by the French against Somali nationals in Somali vessels, within or outside the Seychelles EEZ.

(ECOTERRA – SMCM, 10/13/09)

Incident: Tanker pursued

A tanker in the Gulf of Aden, not otherwise identified, is pursued by men in three skiffs. "The vessel increased speed, conducted evasive maneuvers, and enforced counter-piracy measures while contacting coalition forces. The skiffs eventually aborted their pursuit and moved away." (ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping, 10/21/09)

Incident: Pirates attack French naval ship

The French navy's 3,800-ton refueling ship La Somme is fired upon by five Somali pirates while sailing the Indian Ocean. The pirates mistook the vessel for a civilian target and were taken prisoner. (ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping, 10/21/09)

Incident: Bulk carrier fired upon

A bulk carrier, not otherwise identified, is fired upon in the Gulf of Aden during a boarding attempt by five armed pirates in two skiffs.

Alarm raised and evasive manoeuvres carried out, parachute signals fired, SSAS activated and coalition warship contacted. Pirates fired a RPG, which damaged the starboard bridge wing and captains office. Pirates aborted the attempt to board. Later a warship and aircraft arrived and chased the pirate boats.

(ICC/IMB Website)

Incident: Horizon 1 released

The Turkish cargo ship Horizon 1 has been released following payment of a $2.75 million ransom by a British negotiator. Horizon 1 had been taken on July 8. (Wikipedia, "List of ships attacked by Somali pirates," 12/31/09)

According to a Turkish-language article in the newspaper Hurriyet,

While the ship's owner gave permission to the Turkish Navy for freeing the vessel and her crew by forced intervention, the Turkish government rejected this option due to lack of procedures in case of getting hold of the pirates. The Turkish officials rather preferred to contact Kenyan authorities for legal assistance, who have more experience in handling pirates from Somalia.

("MV Horizon-1," Wikipedia, 12/31/09)

Incident: Hoegh Pusan fired upon

Hoegh Pusan, a vehicle carrier, is fired upon in the Indian Ocean 150 NM north of the Seychelles.

Two unlit boats chased the vessel from astern and opened fire. The master increased speed, conducted evasive maneuvers, started the fire pump and switched on all deck lights. The master contacted coalition forces, increased speed, headed into the wind and activated the SSAS alarm. After approximately 10 minutes, the boats fell behind and the vessel moved away. No injuries to the crew were reported.

(ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping, 10/21/09) Hoegh Pusan, 178 m in length, is registered in Singapore. (vesseltracker.com)

Incident: Alakrana taken

The fishing ship Alakrana is taken while 330NM southeast of Mogadishu. "Armed pirates attacked and hijacked the vessel. The vessel is currently anchored off the coast of Harardhere." (ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping, 10/21/09)

"Two pirates were seized and brought to Spain. Pirates demanded both a four million Euro ransom and for the two pirates to be released." (Wikipedia, "List of ships attacked by Somali pirates," 12/31/09)