Epoch Times
Friday, April 23, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Somali pirates hijacked a Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel on Thursday, making it the fourth ship to be attacked in the past week.
Hijackings are continuing in the lawless Somali waters and also beyond, despite an international navy force deployed in the region to protect cargo vessels. Four heavily armed pirates boarded the vessel, hijacking it and taking its 21-man crew.
Piracy off the coast of Somalia continues to rise, with the total number of attacks doubling last year. Millions of dollars in ransom money are frequently paid to the pirates.
On Sunday, three Thai fishing vessels were hijacked in the furthest that the pirates have struck so far, 1,200 miles off the Somali coast.