Box ship outruns pirates
The pirates attacked the ship 450 nautical miles out to sea with rocket-propelled grenades, starting a fire on board. The crew was able to put out the fire and increased speed to escape, an International Maritime Bureau official told the news organization.
The attack is further evidence that pirates are expanding their zone of operation beyond the Gulf of Aden, first off the East Coast of Somalia, then south to Kenya and Tanzania. Somali pirates captured a Saudi supertanker loaded with oil about 450 miles off of Kenya three weeks ago.
Media outlets also reported that a Danish warship rescued seven suspected pirates adrift with a broken motor on their speedboat. The Danish crew provided provisions, confiscated rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47 assault rifles and sank the speedboat after picking up the Somali pirates 90 miles off the coast of Yemen, but did not arrest them.
The Danish vessel is part of a loose multinational flotilla patrolling the Gulf of Aden to prevent pirate attacks.
The Danish Navy said it followed international obligations to help ships in distress but did not make any arrests because the men were not caught in an act of piracy. The Somali men instead were handed over to the Yemen coast guard.
Box ship outruns pirates