UAE-flagged vessel pirated in eastern part of Gulf of Aden

UAE-flagged vessel pirated in eastern part of Gulf of Aden

2011-03-29 00:27:37 GMT+7 (ICT)

BRUSSELS (BNO NEWS) -- An United Arab Emirates-flagged merchant vessel on Monday was pirated in the eastern area of the Gulf of Aden, the European Union Naval Force - Somalia (EUNAVFOR) informed.

EU Naval Force spokesman Paddy O'Kennedy said the UAE-flagged and Kuwaiti owned vessel MV Zirku was hijacked approximately 250 nautical miles (463 kilometers) southeast of Salalah in the eastern part of the Gulf of Aden.

The crude oil tanker was on its way to Singapore when it was attacked. The MV Zirku departed from Bashayer, Sudan and was carrying crew of 29, consisting of 1 Croatian, 1 Iraqi, 1 Filipino, 1 Indian, 3 Jordanians, 3 Egyptians, 2 Ukrainians and 17 Pakistanis.

"The vessel was attacked by 2 pirate skiffs firing RPGs and small arms. There is no further information about the crew at present," O'Kennedy said.

The oil tanker MV Zirku was registered with MSC(HOA), and was reporting to UKMTO. O'Kennedy added that EUNAVFOR Somalia will continue monitoring the situation.

In recent years, Somali pirates have hijacked hundreds of ships, taking in hundreds of millions of dollars in ransom. Ships are patrolling the shipping lanes near Somalia in an effort to reduce hijackings, but the anti-piracy force has warned that attacks are likely to continue.

According to a recent study, maritime piracy cost the global economy up to $12 billion last year, with Somalia-based pirates responsible for 95 percent of the costs.

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