Somali pirates freed the Golden Nori, a Japanese chemical tanker, and its 23 crew members six weeks after seizing the vessel off the east coast of Somalia.
The U.S. Navy came to the aid of the tanker with the guided missile destroyer USS Porter opening fire to destroy pirate skiffs tied to the ship. "All the pirates are off the ship, and the first indication is that all crew members are unharmed," Lt. John Gay, a U.S. Navy spokesman told The Associated Press.
Andrew Mwangura, head of the Kenya-based East Africa Seafarers' Assistance Program, said that the hostage takers had demanded $1 million ransom and threatened to kill all crew if their demands were not met.
Somali pirates, sometimes linked to powerful local clans, are trained fighters outfitted with sophisticated arms and equipment. Merchant ships, vessels carrying aid, and a cruise ship have fallen prey to these pirates.
The U.S. military said it has recently intervened several times to help ships hijacked by Somali pirates.
Source : ap.google.com |
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