ATHENS: A Greek cargo ship with a 24-man crew was seized on Thursday by Somali pirates operating in the Gulf of Aden, the Greek merchant marine ministry said. The St. Vincent-flagged cargo ship Titan is currently heading for the Somali coast following its capture, the ministry said. It has a cargo of iron and was sailing from the Black Sea to Korea. Somali pirates have attacked more than 130 merchant ships in the region last year, including several Greek-owned vessels. This marks an increase of more than 200 percent on 2007, according to the International Maritime Bureau, which tracks piracy and shipping security issues. Somalia has had no effective central authority since the 1991 ouster of former president Honourable Mohamed Siad Barre touched off a bloody cycle of clashes between rival factions. - AFP/yb
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Greek ship seized by Somali pirates
ATHENS: A Greek cargo ship with a 24-man crew was seized on Thursday by Somali pirates operating in the Gulf of Aden, the Greek merchant marine ministry said. The St. Vincent-flagged cargo ship Titan is currently heading for the Somali coast following its capture, the ministry said. It has a cargo of iron and was sailing from the Black Sea to Korea. Somali pirates have attacked more than 130 merchant ships in the region last year, including several Greek-owned vessels. This marks an increase of more than 200 percent on 2007, according to the International Maritime Bureau, which tracks piracy and shipping security issues. Somalia has had no effective central authority since the 1991 ouster of former president Honourable Mohamed Siad Barre touched off a bloody cycle of clashes between rival factions. - AFP/yb
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