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Somalia: Pirates seize eight ships off lawless Somali coast-official
Tue. August 26, 2008 02:50 am.- By Bonny Apunyu. -
(SomaliNet) About eight ships were seized by pirates off the lawless Somali coast with gunfire being reported during one of the hijackings, an official said on Monday.
"About eight ships have been seized, but we believe there were no fatalities," said Andrew Mwangura, the head of the Kenya-based East African Seafarers' assistance programme.
Earlier reports had suggested that three sailors were killed. Mwangura said it was too early to give full details of all of the seized craft, but said they were a mix of tankers and cargo ships.
Meanwhile, piracy off Somalia's lawless coast has surged in the past three months.
Four ships were seized last week alone.
The United Nations Security Council has approved incursions into Somali waters to fight piracy.
Somalia's weak transitional government, now engaged in countering a bloody insurgency, is powerless to stop the pirates from seizing ships and cashing in by demanding a ransom for the release of the ships and their crews. - Sapa-DPA
News Category: Somalia
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