US Navy continues to monitor highjacked ship

Nov 02, 2007
Author: P&S

US warships are continuing to monitor the movement of the Japanese products tanker GOLDEN NORI, which was seized by pirates who boarded the ship from two small skiffs on Sunday while the tanker was about eight n.miles off the island of Socotra.

An American destroyer later opened fire with a 25mm gun on the skiffs which were under tow behind the captured ship, sinking both before the Americans realised the tanker was carrying a highly volatile cargo of benzene.

The pirates who are believed to be armed are still in control of the ship, which is now in Somali waters. The US Navy is operating with the permission of the Somali transitional government.

Coalition forces operating off the Somali coast believe that the pirates are receiving assistance from larger vessels which tow the small boats normally used for the attacks to a position far out at sea where commercial shipping might be found.