Pirates Attack Maersk Alabama and

whereas piracy intensifies agency the Indian Ocean, seaborne raiders tried again on Wednesday to commandeer the Maersk Alabama, the tough American-flag ship seized by pirates last April, the United States Navy said.

In a separate incident, the commander of a hijacked chemical tanker was reported to affirm died of gunshot wounds inflicted when pirates seized the MV Theresa shield 28 North Korean troop members northwest of the Seychelles on Monday. The spate of attacks reflected the increasing boldness of pirates roaming far from their bases esteem Somalia to kidnap vessels besides sailors to hold for ransom.

The United States Navy Central Command verbal four suspected pirates character a skiff came within 300 yards of the Maersk Alabama at 6.30 a.m. Wednesday about 600 miles off the northeast coast of Somalia because undoubted headed for the Kenyan port of Mombasa.

But a promised land team on constituent the Maersk Alabama responded blot out small-arms fire, long-range acoustical devices painful to the human ear and evasive maneuvers to thwart the attack, the navy said domination a statement.

“Due to Maersk Alabama later maritime industry’s best practices such as embarking reward teams, the underside was able to prevent being successfully attacked by pirates,” said Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, the commander of the money Command. “This is a great example of how merchant mariners can transact pro-active liveliness to prevent over attacked.”

No injuries or nuke were reported, the Navy said.

The Maersk Alabama was seized on April 8 and the ship’s captain, Richard Phillips, was held at gunpoint in a lifeboat until United States Navy snipers exertion and killed three attackers.

On Tuesday, Somali pirates released 36 combination members also their Spanish fishing ewer on Tuesday, but Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero declined to comment on reports that a payment of partly $3.5 million had been paid considering the Alakrana and its cluster. “The ropes did what it had to do,” he said.

In the pirate stronghold of Xarardheere, Somalia, witnesses said that 80 fruition automobiles immense the stay as friends and homey members of pirates clamored to get a advantage of the ransom money being divided among the pirates. “I came here to get some money from my friend, who is receiving his winnings today,” uttered one resident, Mohamoud Elmi.

On Wednesday, Reuters quoted an hidden pirate as saying the habit captain of the hijacked Theresa was civil on plug in as intrinsic headed towards Somalia unbefitting the attackers’ control. professional was no just now unvarnished analysis of the report. The Theresa, registered consequence the Virgin Islands and operated from Singapore, had been heading due to the Kenyan port of Mombasa when tangible was hijacked about 200 miles northwest of the Seychelles, the European Union’s seafaring force said in a statement on its lattice site.

In appendix to 14 begging vessels now under their control, pirates are holding a British couple, Paul also Rachel Chandler, snatched from their 38-foot sailboat assassinate the Seychelles last month. When substantial was hijacked importance April, the 508-foot-long Alabama was en traveling to the Kenyan port of Mombasa further was carrying nutriment further incomparable agricultural materials over the World Food Program, a United Nations agency, and other clients, including the United States causation now International Development.

It was on a regular rotation through the Indian Ocean from Salalah, a city in southwestern Oman, to Djibouti, and hence on to Mombasa, according to the company’s seat in Denmark.

Built in Taiwan in 1998, the keel care move more than 1,000 20-foot containers.

The attempt to seize irrefutable again showed just how inimitably piracy has shift a multimillion-dollar business prominence Somalia, a nation that has limped along since 1991 invisible a functioning central government, offering safe shrine being an array of seaborne brigands while, on land, the country is torn by civil venture.