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The American flagged Maersk Alabama was attacked for a second time by pirates when the vessel was about 600 miles off the coast off the northeast coast of Somalia as it traveled towards Mombasa.
According to the U.S. Navy four pirates in a high-speed skiff opened fire with automatic weapons on the Maersk, which was just attacked this past April when their captain was taken hostage by Somali pirates. This time, however, a private security team was on board, and they were able to thwart the attack with evasive maneuvers, gunfire, and long-range acoustical devices.
The Maersk was not the only ship attacked recently in waters off the Somali coast. A Spanish vessel, the Alakrana was hijacked recently as was the MV Theresa, a ship crewed by North Koreans who lost their captain in a gunfight. The Spanish government is suspected of having paid a $3.5 million ransom to the pirates to secure release of 36 member crew and their fishing vessel.
An AP report covering the recent pirate attacks notes that pirates are becoming especially bold in their hijacking attempts as they roam further from their bases seeking boats to capture and crews to ransom. In fact, right now Somali pirates have 14 commercial vessels in their control and are also holding a British couple hostage. The couple was captured by pirates while out on their sailboat near the Seychelles in October.
Read More About Crew of Maersk Alabama Suffer Second Pirate Attack in Seven Months...
