Somali pirates free Malaysian chemical tanker NAIROBI, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Somali pirates have released Malaysian-flagged chemical tanker M/T Bunga Melati which was hijacked off the Gulf of Aden on August 29, a regional maritime official disclosed on Tuesday.

Three Somali pirates die in hijacked Ukrainian vessel NAIROBI, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Three Somali pirates have died in a shootout following the differences over what to do with the seized Ukrainian ship with crew members, arms and tanks aboard, a regional maritime official confirmed on Tuesday.

Text of report by Bernard Momanyi entitled "Seized arms probably meant for Sudan" published by Kenyan privately-owned radio station Capital FM website on 28 September Somali pirates who seized a Ukrainian cargo vessel carrying military equipment now allege the arsenal was not destined for Kenya's military.

Kenyan sailor killed as ship sinks off Tanzania NAIROBI, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- A ship sank in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Tanzania early Wednesday, killing one Kenyan sailor but 18 others were rescued, according to a maritime official.

Somali pirates attacked five more ships this week after a failed attempt to seize a luxury liner, in a sharp rise of banditry apparently directed by a mysterious "mother ship" prowling the Indian Ocean.