Thagarr's Pirate News!

Meigger · Apr 30, 2009

<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> Kind of like pass the deck chairs and tables please!

Stallion · Apr 30, 2009

<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> Too bad nobody took pictures. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

Thagarr · Apr 30, 2009

Somebody just might next time Stallion....

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>U.S. May Monitor Pirates From Space</b>

Apr 29, 2009

By John M. Doyle

The U.S. is exploring the use of commercial satellites to enhance ship identification and communication for the battle against piracy.

Long before the U.S.-flagged container ship Maersk Alabama was attacked by Somali pirates this month, a sister vessel, the Maersk Iowa, was plying the sea lanes between the U.S. East Coast and the Indian Ocean, testing a device that combines the information obtained from shipboard radar and identification transponders to give authorities a better overview of who is on the water and what they are up to.

Now, the U.S. Office of Global Maritime Situational Awareness wants to leverage that data fusion technology to create a spaced-based collaboration for International Global Maritime Awareness. Guy Thomas, the officeâ€™s science and technology adviser, envisions a networked information system using commercial satellites to transmit a common operating picture to authorities, allowing them to monitor large ocean areas.

Thomas, a former Navy signals intelligence officer working for the interagency maritime situational awareness office, thinks navigational radar and other sensor data from thousands of merchant shipsâ€”enhanced by commercial satellites rapidly relaying the information to authoritiesâ€”could help overcome the challenge of monitoring the vast maritime domain.

Using existing commercial satellite technology, such as synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and electro-optical and infrared imaging, could provide all-weather night-and-day surveillance, even in heavy cloud cover. The satellites and shipboard sensors would complement each other, either calling attention to anomalies or checking and verifying them. The time it takes to download information from a satellite could be as little as 5 min., says Thomas. The information would be made available to authorities in an unclassified format. L-band radar, less detailed but also less expensive, would be adequate to detect the wake of ships at sea from space, he asserts.

Probably the greatest obstacle facing the warships from more than a dozen nations patrolling the pirate-infested waters between the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea is that the area â€œis just vast, more than a million square miles,â€ says Gordan Van Hook, the director of innovation and concept development for the U.S.-based Maersk Line Ltd. According to U.S. Central Command, 33,000 ships passed through the Gulf of Aden in 2008. The same year, 122 piracy events occurred, with 42 successful and 80 unsuccessful.</div>

Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=defense&id=news/SATS042909.xml&headline=U.S.%20May%20Monitor%20Pirates%20From%20Space" target="_blank">http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=defense&id=news/SATS042909.xml&headline=U.S. May Monitor Pirates From Space://http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/gene...ates From Space</a>

Thagarr · May 2, 2009

The pirate version of catch and release? ...at least they confiscated their weapons. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=" :rolleyes:

" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" />

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>NATO foils attack on Norwegian tanker</b>

By Alison Bevege
Reuters
Saturday, May 2, 2009; 12:36 AM

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Portuguese warship Corte-Real captured, disarmed and briefly detained 19 pirates armed with high-explosives after they attempted to attack a Norwegian-owned oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden, NATO officials said on Saturday.

Crude oil tanker MV Kition radioed for help on Friday afternoon after a skiff full of pirates brandishing assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades approached them, said NATO Lieutenant Commander Alexandre Fernandes from on board the NATO warship.

Heavily armed pirates from Somalia have been attacking vessels in Indian Ocean shipping lanes and the Gulf of Aden, capturing dozens of vessels, kidnapping hundreds of hostages and raking in millions of dollars in ransoms.

"They were about 20 nautical miles south of us and we were the nearest warship, so we immediately scrambled our helicopter," said Fernandes.

Helicopter pilots Marco Coimbra and Pedro Gomes-Bras spotted the skiff and began tracking the pirates who fled the circling helicopter to the safety of their mothership.

The Portuguese escort frigate began hunting the mothership, a dhow with 19 heavily armed pirates aboard. After a high-speed chase the dhow was intercepted and by evening, eight marines managed to board the vessel.

The special forces discovered four 200g sticks of the chemical high-explosive P4A, four AK-47s and one rocket propelled grenade launcher with nine grenades, Fernandes said.

"It was almost a kilogram of high explosives," he said. "If used correctly it can open a hole in the hull of a ship and sink her."

"It is the first time we have spotted high explosives on board a pirate ship, normally they just stick to AK-47s and RPGs," Fernandes said, adding that he did not think the explosives signaled an escalation in violence.

"They thought they needed it, but an RPG is a more offensive weapon," he said.

There were no injuries reported and Fernandes said the pirates did not shoot at the Bahamas-flagged merchant vessel, the helicopter or the marines.

"They surrendered immediately," he said.

After consulting with Portuguese authorities, the Corte-Real, which was last week recalled from other duties to fight piracy in the Gulf, released the pirates, Fernandes said.

Each warship on NATO's anti-piracy mission Operation Allied Protector must comply with its national regulations on dealing with captured pirates.

Pirate attacks have disrupted U.N. aid supplies, driven up insurance costs and forced some firms to consider routing cargo between Europe and Asia around South Africa instead.

Many of the sea gangs are based in Puntland, which has been relatively peaceful compared with southern Somalia -- which has been mired in conflict for the last 18 years.</div>

original story here :
<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/01/AR2009050103656.html" target="_blank">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...9050103656.html</a>

Thagarr · May 3, 2009

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>Pirates Hijack British-Owned Carrier in Indian Ocean</b>

By Sarah McGregor and Lars Paulsson

May 2 (Bloomberg) -- Pirates hijacked a British-owned bulk carrier in the Indian Ocean a day after NATOâ€™s anti-piracy mission foiled an attack by a ship armed with explosives and assault rifles.

The MV Ariana, carrying soya, was taken about 250 miles (400 kilometers) southwest of the Seychelles Islands, North Atlantic Treaty Organization spokesman Commander Chris Davies said in a telephone interview. The vessel is flagged in Malta and has a Ukrainian crew, Davies, based in Northwood, England, said.

â€œThey are after its cargo and whatever they can get for its hostages is a bonus,â€ Davies said. The Ariana â€œis in the vicinity where Somali pirates have operated in the past,â€ he added. The attack took place around 5:30 a.m. local Seychelles time today.

The East Africa Seafarersâ€™ Assistance Program confirmed that the bulk carrier had been boarded.

â€œAs soon as the gunmen are on the ship, the warships canâ€™t do anything but just wait and watch,â€ Andrew Mwangura, an official with the charity, said by phone from Kenya.</div>

Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aht_hTpP8mko&refer=home" target="_blank">http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...&refer=home</a>

Thagarr · May 4, 2009

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>French navy captures 11 suspected pirates</b>

MOMBASA, Kenya, May 3 (UPI) -- The French navy said Sunday it had 11 suspected pirates in custody following an apparently misguided piracy attempt on the Indian Ocean east of Kenya.

French naval Capt. Christophe Prazuck said the suspects were detained after two pirate assault boats were preparing to attack a French military vessel, apparently mistaking the ship for a commercial vessel, CNN reported. The encounter occurred 620 miles from Mombasa, Kenya.

Prazuck said a French helicopter fired warning shots at the speeding vessels before they could fire at the military ship.

The suspects were found in possession of rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47 rifles, Prazuck alleged.</div>

Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/05/03/French-navy-captures-11-suspected-pirates/UPI-35221241380632/" target="_blank">http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/05/03/Fre...35221241380632/</a>

Thagarr · May 4, 2009

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>
Seoul 'rescues' N Korean vessel</b>

A South Korean navy warship has foiled a pirate attack on a North Korean cargo ship off Somalia's coast, military officials in Seoul say.

They say the South Korean destroyer sent a helicopter with snipers on board to drive away a pirate boat that was chasing the North Korean freighter.

Seoul says the pirates sped away from the North Korean ship after the snipers prepared to fire warning shots.

North and South Korea are technically at war following the 1950-53 conflict.

'Thank you' message

The military officials in Seoul said their warship had acted after picking up distress signals from the North Korean vessel on Monday.

The pirate boat came as close as 3km (1.8 miles) to the cargo ship when the navy helicopter arrived at the scene, an official with South Korea's Joint Chief of Staff's office told Reuters news agency.

South Korea said the crew on its warship had received a thank you message from the North Koreans after thwarting the pirate attack.

Seoul did not give any further details about the North Korean vessel or the nature of its cargo.

The South Korean destroyer has been escorting cargo vessels in the region since April.</div>

Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8032385.stm" target="_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8032385.stm</a>

Old Salt · May 5, 2009

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Thagarr @ May 3 2009, 08:25 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=317292"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>French navy captures 11 suspected pirates</b>

MOMBASA, Kenya, May 3 (UPI) -- The French navy said Sunday it had 11 suspected pirates in custody following an apparently misguided piracy attempt on the Indian Ocean east of Kenya.

French naval Capt. Christophe Prazuck said the suspects were detained after two pirate assault boats were preparing to attack a French military vessel, apparently mistaking the ship for a commercial vessel, CNN reported. The encounter occurred 620 miles from Mombasa, Kenya.

Prazuck said a French helicopter fired warning shots at the speeding vessels before they could fire at the military ship.

The suspects were found in possession of rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47 rifles, Prazuck alleged.</div>

Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/05/03/French-navy-captures-11-suspected-pirates/UPI-35221241380632/" target="_blank">http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/05/03/Fre...35221241380632/</a>
</div>
Whoops! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

Thagarr · May 5, 2009

Maybe the pirate leaders should start passing out decks of playing cards with ship identification silhouettes on them! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> You would think they would know better than to mess with French ships anyway by now.

Here is a link to some video obtained by SkyNews of the French capturing those pirates.
<a href="http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Somali-Pirates-Captured-By-French-Navy-Which-Releases-Video-Of-The-Operation/Article/200905115274988" target="_blank">http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-New...200905115274988</a>

Thagarr · May 6, 2009

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>Italian frigate prevents pirate attack on Maltese flagged ship</b>

Tuesday, 5th May 2009 - 16:36CET

An Italian frigate came to the assistance of a Maltese flagged vessel which was under attack by pirates off Somalia this afternoon.

The Maestrale intervened to assist the Maltese-flagged Michael S, owned JME Navigation based in Greece.

No further details were immediately available.

Earlier, the frigate scrambled its helicopter when an Italian-owned gas tanker, the Neverland, was also threatened by pirates. They retreated when the helicopter appeared.

The pirates are working the last days of favourable weather conditions, in between monsoon seasons that make approaching and boarding large high-sided ships more difficult.</div>

Original stoy here :
<a href="http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090505/local/italian-frigate-prevents-pirate-attack-on-maltese-flagged-ship" target="_blank">http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/...se-flagged-ship</a>

Thagarr · May 6, 2009

Hmmmm, this is interesting ...I wonder if this is the same guy that made the decision not to rescue Capt. Phillips.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>U.S. Calls Off ‘Suicide Mission’ to Rescue Pirate Hostages</b>
By Noah Shachtman

April 17th, I received an e-mail from someone I had never met. The message: ”Keep an eye out on the news for the next week. Rumor has it the GSG 9 der Bundespolizei may make a move on the German freighter Hansa Stavanger (held by Somali pirates).” So I kept my eye out. But nothing happened.

Today, I read at the U.S. Naval Institute Blog that there was a rescue mission all ready to go.
“Over 200 members of GSG-9, German law enforcement’s most elite hostage rescue and counter-terrorism team,” were going to participate. The goal: “retake the German freighter Hansa Stavanger and free the 24 crew members seized by Somali pirates in early April.”

But when “the United States was asked by its close NATO ally to assist with logistics for the German assault force,” National Security Advisor, Gen. James Jones nixed the operation. After he reviewing the plans, however, he deemed it a possible “suicide mission” and “bloodbath.” German officials “also noted that the pirates seemed well prepared to repel any attack.” So the operation was scuttled. And I wait for my next tip.</div>

Original post here :
<a href="http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/05/us-calls-off-suicide-mission-to-rescue-pirate-hostages/" target="_blank">http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/05/us...irate-hostages/</a>

Thagarr · May 6, 2009

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>Somali pirates seize German ship, 11 crew</b>

By KATHARINE HOURELD - Associated Press Writer

NAIROBI, Kenya -- A German cargo ship carrying 11 crew members in the Gulf of Aden called for help as it was being attacked by Somali pirates, but by the time a helicopter arrived to render assistance the pirates were already in control, officials said Wednesday.

It was the latest seizure by high-seas bandits who are holding hundreds of merchant mariners hostage.

The German-owned ship, the MV Victoria, was captured Tuesday afternoon 75 miles (120 kilometers) south of Yemen, said Lt. Nate Christensen, a spokesman for the Bahrain-based U.S. 5th Fleet. He had no information on the condition of the 11 Romanian crew members aboard the Antigua- and Barbuda-flagged ship.

German Defense Ministry spokesman Thomas Raabe said the Victoria had been sailing in an unaccompanied convoy, but was a relatively easy target because of its slow speed and low railing. A Turkish frigate responded to a call for help by sending a helicopter, but the ship already was in the pirates' hands by the time it arrived, he told reporters in Berlin. The frigate was between 80 and 100 nautical miles from the ship at the time, Raabe said.

The Gulf of Aden is one of the world's most important shipping lanes, connecting Europe and Asia via the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. It is used by 20,000 ships a year and has become the world's hot spot for pirate attacks.

At least 19 ships are now being held by Somali pirates, and about 250 sailors from countries around the world being held hostage in the Gulf of Aden and directly off Somalia's eastern coast.</div>

Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.thestate.com/nationwire/story/776426.html" target="_blank">http://www.thestate.com/nationwire/story/776426.html</a>

Stallion · May 6, 2009

I think it's time they started having it mandatory for at least half the crews to have weapons training, and be armed and ready to repel at least small groups of boarders.

And, maybe instead of having trials for them, just hang the pirates at sea - but televise the hangings. Granted, all the hostages the pirates have now would need to be rescued before this was done, but then maybe there'd be an end to this. Forget laws for once and get on the same level as the pirates!

End rant. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

Thagarr · May 7, 2009

I agree with you Stallion, these cargo ships at least need some kind of armed security. I found a letter to the editor in a New England newspaper suggesting that cargo ships should be armed with flame throwers! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

And now back to the news!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Thursday, May 07, 2009<b>
Pirate suspects held on Spanish ship
Spanish ship captures 7 shipwrecked pirates</b>

Spain is now facing the dilemma of what to do with the 7 pirates captured in the Indian Ocean. According to the Ministry of Defence a Spanish petrol tanker, the MarquÃ©s de la Ensenada, which was travelling through the Gulf of Aden received a mayday call at 11.10 am (Spanish time) from another ship, the Nepheli, which was flying the Panamanian flag and which was being attacked by another lighter vessel.

The petrol tanker which was approximately 15 miles away went to help the Nepheli and sent its helicopter to survey the situation in advance of its arrival. When the tanker arrived in the area it found a capsized vessel and 7 people in the water. It is believed that the evasive action taken by the Nepheli led to the boat to capsize.
When the MarquÃ©s de la Ensenada arrived it rescued the 7 people in the water. The Ministry of Defence is now waiting for sufficient evidence to show that the 7 people rescued by the tanker are in fact pirates.

Last night the Ministry confirmed that the captain of the Nepheli, a Filipino, has signed a declaration accusing the 7 men of attempting to hijack his ship which had several bullet holes in its windows and bodywork. Although no firearms were found on the vessel belonging to the pirates some petrol containers, oil containers, a magnetic needle and a GPS system were discovered.</div>
Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://www.euroresidentes.com/Blogs/2009/05/pirate-suspects-held-on-spanish-ship.html" target="_blank">http://www.euroresidentes.com/Blogs/2009/0...anish-ship.html</a>

Old Salt · May 7, 2009

These cargo ship owners would rather pay the ransoms, which is pocket change to them considering what their cargo brings them, then cut more into their bottom line and pay for a security force to be on their ships. They reason that the pirate attacks on the whole are really on only a fraction of the ships that traverse those waters and they would rather just go with the odds. Tell that to the crews though who have to deal with these scalawags. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pirate3.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="

2" border="0" alt="pirate3.gif" />

Thagarr · May 7, 2009

Yup, Old Salt, it's all about the bottom line. Typical corporate mentality.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>Somali pirates take Dutch boat</b>
Thu May 7, 2009 4:42pm BST

By Andrew Cawthorne

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Pirates seized a Dutch cargo vessel on Thursday, a regional maritime group said, in the latest hijack by gangs proliferating off Somalia despite the presence of patrolling foreign warships.

"The crew are said to be safe. We are hearing there are between eight and 18 crew members," said Andrew Mwangura, of the Kenya-based East African Seafarers Assistance Programme.

The 2,575-tonne "Marathon" was heading westbound through the Gulf of Aden when it was seized, he said.

In another of near-daily incidents, the U.S. Navy said pirates fired small arms weapons at one of its supply ships off the coast of Somalia. The USNS Lewis and Clark outran the two pirate skiffs after being chased for about an hour on Wednesday.

Somali pirate activity has been frenetic in recent weeks, despite an unprecedented deployment of warships seeking to deter armed groups marauding in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.

Spanish judicial sources said seven pirates arrested by its military and accused of attempting to hijack a Panamanian ship may be put on trial in Spain. A judge has begun reviewing evidence provided by the Ministry of Defence.

On Wednesday, pirates freed a UAE-owned cargo ship on Wednesday and captured an Antigua- and Barbuda-flagged vessel the day before. They are holding about 20 ships with nearly 300 hostages, according to regional piracy monitoring groups and the London-based International Maritime Bureau (IMB).</div>

Rest of the story here :
<a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/usTopNews/idUKL75577120090507" target="_blank">http://uk.reuters.com/article/usTopNews/idUKL75577120090507</a>

Thagarr · May 9, 2009

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>Somali Pirates Free British-Owned Ship</b>
By VOA News
09 May 2009

Maritime officials said Somali pirates have released a British-owned, Italian-operated cargo ship seized more than a month ago.

An official with the East African Seafarers Assistance Program, Andrew Mwangura, said the ship was freed Saturday.

Authorities said the pirates let the ship go after getting the ransom money they requested, but it is unclear how much that was.

The 30,000-ton ship was hijacked on April 6. It was carrying 24 crew members, including 16 Bulgarians, and several Russians, Ukrainians and Filipinos. Officials said all of the crew members appear to be in good health.

Somali pirates have hijacked dozens of ships over the last year-and-a-half, receiving millions of dollars in ransom payments to release vessels and their crews.

The European Union, along with the United States and other nations, has been conducting naval patrols off the coast of Somalia to protect commercial vessels and deter pirate attacks.

Somalia's weak central government lacks the power to stop the piracy.</div>

Original story here :
<a href="http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-05-09-voa22.cfm" target="_blank">http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-05-09-voa22.cfm</a>

Thagarr · May 9, 2009

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Samuel L. Jackson to produce and star in African pirate movie

May 8, 2009, 09:07 AM | by Jean Bentley

Categories: Film, Movie biz

Samuel L. Jackson will headline a movie based on the life of pirate negotiator Andrew Mwangura, Variety reports. Mwangura, a freelance journalist, runs the Seafarers' Assistance Programme, a nonprofit that brokers the safety and freedom of hijacked ships off the Eastern coast of Africa. Last year, he made headlines for negotiating a high-price deal between pirates and the owners of a Ukranian ship secretly carrying weapons bound for the Sudan. Jackson's Uppity Films is teaming up with producer Andras Hamori's H20 Motion Pictures for the project. The two previously co-produced the thriller Formula 51, and are reportedly working on an adaptation of the novella Running Wild.</div>

Original story here :
<a href="http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/05/samuel-jackson.html" target="_blank">http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/05/samuel-jackson.html</a>

Thagarr · May 10, 2009

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>Russian tanker escapes pirate attack off Somalia</b>
19:01 | 10/ 05/ 2009

MOSCOW, May 10 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian oil tanker was attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden on Sunday but managed to escape with no casualties or damage, a Russian shipping company said.

The Liberia-flagged tanker, the NS Spirit, with the 22-member Russian crew, was sailing from South-East Asia to a Persian Gulf port with 36,000 tons of gasoline on its board. It was attacked at 1:00 p.m. Moscow time (9:00 GMT) on Sunday while passing through the Gulf of Aden, the Novorossiysk Shipping Company said.

The Novorossiysk Shipping Company and the tanker owner, Novoship, are integrated into Sovcomflot, Russia's largest shipping company.

"The crew timely detected a boat with armed people, which was moving towards the vessel and made two preventive salvoes with onboard fireworks. The NS Spirit crew immediately got in touch with the Admiral Panteleyev missile destroyer staying 15 nautical miles away from the tanker," the Novorossiysk Shipping Company said.

A helicopter then took off the Admiral Panteleyev destroyer to help the tanker.

"Thanks to competent and decisive actions by Novoship sailors, and also swift interaction between the tanker and the Russian Navy ship, the pirates ceased their chase. All the crew members are fine and are ready to continue their voyage," the shipping company said.

Since the start of this year, almost a hundred vessels have been attacked by Somali pirates. A number of countries, including Russia, have deployed warships to protect the Gulf of Aden.

As of May 5, Somali pirates were reported to be holding 17 ships and some 300 crew.</div>

Original story here :
<a href="http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090510/121532652.html" target="_blank">http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090510/121532652.html</a>

Thagarr · May 10, 2009

<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Ph_locator_map_south_cotabato.png" border="0" class="linked-image" />

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><b>Militiamen foil pirate attack in Sarangani</b>
By BONG REBLANDO
May 10, 2009, 6:16pm

GENERAL SANTOS CITY â€“ The Army-backed militiamen successfully foiled the attack of heavily armed pirates riding in three motorized outriggers in a coastal village in Sarangani Province last Thursday.

Col. Danny Soriano, 1002nd deputy brigade chief, said the attack occurred around 3 a.m. last Thursday when the suspects fired and launched grenade to the fishermen preparing to go fishing on the shorelines of Barangay Kabatiol in Maasim town.

He said two fishermen identified as Bonifacio Mongosera and Elden Capasas were hit in the volleys of gunfire unleashed by the gunmen believed to be rogue Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels or pirates known as â€œAmbak Pare.â€

Rescuers rushed the wounded victims to the Maasim Municipal District Hospital for treatment where attending doctors declared them out of danger. But the newly trained Army-led Barangay Defense Forces, Soriano said, returned fire that resulted to a fierce exchange of gunfire preventing the armed men to land ashore and devastate the village.

Troopers from the 73rd Infantry Battalion led by Major Rocio were dispatched by Lt. Col. Edgardo de Leon and also engaged the suspects in a firefight until the armed band withdrew towards the west in Barangay Daliao.

Navy gunboats requested by the brigade arrived at the scene to chase the gunmen onboard three motorized outriggers.</div>

Original story here :
<a href="http://www.mb.com.ph/node/200144" target="_blank">http://www.mb.com.ph/node/200144</a>

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