U.S. Destroyer Keeping Tabs on Pirated Ship Off Somalia’s Coast
By MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN
By Mohamed Olad Hassan
The Associated Press
MOGADISHU, Somalia
A U.S. destroyer off the coast of Somalia closed in Saturday on a hijacked Ukrainian ship loaded with tanks and ammunition, watching it to ensure the pirates who seized it did not try to remove any cargo or crew.
As Russian and U.S. ships pursued the hijackers of the Ukrainian- operated vessel, pirates seized another ship off Somalia’s coast, an international anti-piracy group said.
The Greek tanker with a crew of 19 is carrying refined petroleum from Europe to the Middle East. It was ambushed Friday in the Gulf of Aden, said Noel Choong, who heads the International Maritime Bureau’s piracy reporting center based in Malaysia. He said pirates chased and fired at the ship before boarding it.
In Somalia, a man claiming to be spokesman for the pirates holding the Ukrainian ship said they want $35 million to release the vessel. There was no way to immediately verify his claim .
On Thursday, pirates seized the Ukrainian ship Faina en route to Kenya with 33 Russian-built T-72 tanks and a substantial quantity of ammunition and spare parts. Russia’s navy said Friday it had dispatched a warship to the area, and the United States said American naval ships were tracking the Ukrainian ship with special concern because of the weaponry on board.
The hijackings were the latest in a series of maritime attacks off the coast of Somalia, a war-torn country in Africa that has been without a functioning government since 1991.
A U.S. defense official said the destroyer Howard was pursuing the hijacked Ukrainian vessel and was within a few thousand yards of it. The hijacked ship is anchored a few miles off the Somalia coast, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said the Kenyan Defense Department was using its contacts to try to resolve the problem. It said Kenyan authorities were sharing information with Somalia, Ukraine, Russia, the United States and Britain in an effort to secure the swift release of the ship and its crew.
A Russian Web site posted what it said was an audio recording of a phone conversation with the Ukrainian ship’s first mate. He said the hijackers are seeking a ransom and have anchored close to Somalia.
There was no way to immediately confirm the authenticity of the report.
The Howard is based in San Diego.
Howard on the hunt
The destroyer Howard was within a few thousand yards of the Ukrainian vessel, a U.S. defense official said. The hijacked ship is loaded with tanks and ammo.
Originally published by BY MOHAMED OLAD HASSAN.
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