Somali pirates on hijacking spree

NAIROBI (AFP) - - Somali pirates seized ships from France, Britain, Germany, Taiwan and Yemen, defying world naval powers by prowling further out in the Indian Ocean to target victims.Ransom-hunting pirates equipped with skiffs, guns and grapnels took five ships in 48 hours, the two latest on Monday targeting a British cargo ship and a Taiwanese fishing vessel.
At least 17 ships and more than 250 hostages are now in pirate hands. "There were two more hijackings today. There is one Italian-operated British-owned ship and a Taiwanese vessel near the Seychelles," an official involved in regional piracy monitoring told AFP on condition of anonymity.The Seychelles government said it received a distress call saying that a Taiwanese fishing vessel, the MV Winfar 161, and its 29 crew was hijacked in its exclusive economic zone, north of Denis island.Transport Minister Joel Morgan said military forces had been deployed to intercept the pirates, amid reports that three more Taiwanese ships were trying to escape capture.The information centre of the European Union's anti-piracy naval mission Atalanta confirmed the hijacking of the British Panama-flagged Malaspina Castle. "A 32,000 tonne UK-owned and Italian-operated bulk carrier was hijacked early this morning in the Gulf of Aden ... the mixed nationality crew are believed to be safe," it said.The maritime administration in Sofia said 16 crew members were Bulgarians.Ecoterra International, an environment group monitoring illegal marine activities in the region, reported that a French yacht was captured Saturday about 640 kilometres (400 miles) off Ras Hafun in northeast Somalia and was heading towards Somali Puntland...more..http://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/afp/20090406/twl-somalia-piracy-shipping-4bdc673.html