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• In early May 2009, Somalian pirates off the coast of Africa continued their assault on passing ships, hijacking the Greek-owned cargo ship Ariana and taking the vessel's Ukrainian crew hostage. As of May 2, 2009, the pirates were reported to be holding 17 ships and around 300 crew.

  A Porteguese warship thwarted an attack on an oil tanker and seized explosives off of the attacking ship, according to a statement by NATO on May 2, 2009. The warship had released the ship's 19 crew members.MSNBC: Somali pirates hijack ship with Ukrainian crew

• Fast Facts

  1. Somalian pirates have threatened U.S. and EU state shipsTimesOnline: Euro taskforce declares war... (October 3, 2008)
  2. The attacks continue, despite the presence of U.S. warships guarding the area, and include four failed attacks within a 24-hour span on October 3, 2008FOX News: ...Somali Pirates Attempt Four Attacks in 24 Hours (October 4, 2008)
  3. EU joined in the defense after a Ukrainian boat was taken hostageTimesOnline: Euro taskforce declares war... (October 3, 2008)
  4. International officials fear weapons from pirated ships could be sold to Al QaedaTimesOnline: Euro taskforce declares war... (October 3, 2008)
  5. Piracy in the Gulf of Aden, through which approximately 20,000 vessels travel each year, has increased more than 75% in 2008The Associated Press: Somali pirates seize supertanker... (November 17, 2008)
  6. One study suggests that pirates have received up to $30 million in ransoms in 2008 aloneThe Associated Press: Somali pirates seize supertanker... (November 17, 2008)

• Hijackings

  Pirates hijacked an Italian-flagged American tugboat in the Gulf of Aden, holding 16 crew members hostage on April 11, 2009.FOX News: U.S.-Owned Tugboat With Italians Aboard Hijacked Off Somalia On April 14, 2009, Somali pirates had hijacked four additional ships including the MV Irene (a Greek bulk carrier), two Egyptian fishing boats and the MV Sea Horse. Between the four ships, it was reported that the pirates had at least 60 crew members as hostages.Telegraph: Somali Pirates Seize Four More Ships (April 14, 2009) Deutsche Welle: In Gulf of Aden, piracy scourge continues unabated (April 14, 2009)

• Failed Attempts

  On April 18, 2009, Dutch NATO troops released 20 Yemini hostages and briefly held seven Somlian pirates hostage following a raid. The hostages had been forced to sail a "mother ship" used to attack other vessels. In a separate incident, pirates seized a Belgian-owned ship and took the vessel's 10 crew members hostage.Reuters: NATO frees pirate hostages, Belgian ship seized

  In a new attempt to hijack a U.S. ship carrying aid, grenades were launched at the American freighter, The Liberty Sun, on Tuesday, April 14, 2009. The freighter escaped the attack and was escorted toward Kenya by the U.S. Navy. The attacks are said to be an effort to show President Obama that the pirates are not intimidated by his declaration to stop their activities.FOX News: ...Ship Evades Somali Pirate Attack (April 15, 2009)

• Maersk Alabama

  On Wednesday, April 8, 2009, pirates attacked the U.S. cargo ship Maersk Alabama, while it was on its way to Mombasa, Kenya. The ship was roughly 310 miles from the Somalia coast and carried at least 20 Americans on board.CNN: Pirates attack U.S. cargo ship... (April 8, 2009) The crew of the ship retook control later in the day and had one of the hijackers in custody. Captain Richard Phillips, however, was taken hostage and held on a lifeboat by four of the pirates.Huffington Post: Captain Richard Phillips Still Held Hostage by Somali Pirates (April 8, 2009) During the night of April 9, the lifeboat had reportedly run out of fuel and was surrounded by the Navy battleship USS Bainbridge, helicopters and surveillance aircraft. The kidnappers showed no sign of surrender.Guardian: Somali pirates surrounded by FBI and US warships in Indian Ocean stand-off (April 9, 2009) On April 23, 2009, Phillips was rescued and three of four pirates were killed by sharp shooters.Deutsche Welle: In Gulf of Aden, piracy scourge continues unabated (April 14, 2009)

• The Tanit

  In a separate hostage situation, pirates had taken five French hostages, including a child, after attacking the Tanit yacht on April 4, 2009. The French government said that four of the hostages (child included) had been released following a French attack on the Somali pirates on April 10, 2009, though one of the hostages and two pirates had been killed in the attack.CNN: Hostage dies as French attack Somali pirates (April 10, 2009)

• Sirius Star HIjacking

  On November 17, 2008, Somali pirates hijacked the Sirius Star, a Saudi-owned supertanker carrying an estimated $110 million in crude oil. The Sirius Star is believed to be the largest ever vessel hijacked by pirates and the attack occurred further away from land than any previous successful hijacking.The Associated Press: Somali pirates seize supertanker... (November 17, 2008) The Sirius Star was released on January 9, 2009, after pirates were paid a reported $3 million in ransom. All crew members aboard the tanker were reportedly unharmed in the incident.CNN: Somali pirates free tanker after ransom (January 10, 2009)

  It was later reported that four of the five pirates who had collected the ransom drowned shortly after leaving the Sirius Star. A portion of the ransom was also allegedly lost at sea when the pirates' boat capsized.CNN: Somali pirates free tanker... (January 10, 2009)

• Ties With Terror

  Reports claim that Somalian insurgents and the pirates of the nation's waters are linked through multiple networks and for various reasons. Somali pirates likely aid the insurgents in the transportation and smuggling of weapons. The Shabab "Hardliners" offer training to many Somali pirates in exchange for naval training from the sea criminals.BBC News: Pirates 'working with Islamists' (November 19, 2008)

• Pirates in Gulf of Aden

  On April 2, 2008, a group of pirates attacked a luxury French yacht in the coastal waters between Somalia and Yemen. Hostages held on the Le Ponant were released on April 11, yet the piracy problem in Somalian waters became a topic of international conflict due to possible ties with terrorism. On December 13, 2008, the Indian Navy reported that they had captured 23 piracy suspects and two small boats as they were attacking a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden. CNN: 23 suspected pirates captured, Indian navy says (December 13, 2008)

• Mother Ship

  The French Navy seized 11 pirates on April 15, 2009 in a raid on what has referred to as a pirate "mother ship", a 30-foot boat which was being used as a makeshift base in the Indian Ocean along the shore of Somalia. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton also called for an expanded effort in the global fight against piracy.

• April 2009 Activity

  In early April of 2009, Somalian pirates attacked and hijacked several ships near their coast. Notably, pirates attacked the U.S. cargo ship Maersk Alabama, and held its captain, Richard Phillips hostage before he was rescued. Pirates also attacked a private French yacht, the Tanit, holding five hostage.

  On April 18, 2009, another pirate attack was repelled in the Gulf of Aden when a Canadian naval vessel responded to a Norwegian ship that was under attack. The pirates' weapons were confiscated and they were released after questioning. NATO does not have a policy in place dictating what to do with pirates once they are captured.CNN: New pirate attack thwarted in Gulf of Aden (April 19, 2009)

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Somalia | European Union | Pirates in Gulf of Aden | Pirates | Sirius Star Hijacking | Somali Pirates | Shane Murphy | Richard Phillips | USS Bainbridge | Maersk Alabama | Pirate Hunters | Richard E. Hicks | USS Freedom | How to Survive a Chemical Attack | How to Survive a Foreign Invasion

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