Somali Pirates Seize Indian Ship And Crew

LONDON, April 4, 2007 – Pirates have hijacked an Indian-flagged merchant ship in Somali waters, the second ship to be seized in the region in five weeks.

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said on Tuesday pirates seized the ship and its crew close to Mogadishu late on Monday.

"We are seeking confirmation of the name of the ship and details of the crew from its owners," IMB director Pottengal Mukundan said.

Andrew Mwangura, director of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme, said the vessel was the MV Nimatullah, an Indian-flagged dhow with 14 Indian crew members aboard and a cargo of 800 tones.

He had no further details on the goods aboard the ship, which belong to Somali businessman Sheikh Saney. Saney could not be reached for comment.

The vessel was seized while anchored outside Mogadishu's deepwater port, he said.

The latest hijacking follows the capture of a UN-chartered freighter, the Rozen, with its crew of six Kenyans and six Sri Lankans in late February. The crew are still being held off the coast of the semi-autonomous Puntland region.

That hijacking, was the first reported attack since the interim government with Ethiopian military help, drove out Islamists late last year who controlled southern Somalia and helped crack down on piracy.

Violence flared again recently, with Mogadishu seeing some of the worst fighting in 15 years, the United Nations said. Hundreds of people have been killed and tens of thousands have fled the Somali capital.

A ceasefire in Mogadishu held for a second day on Tuesday as Somali clan elders met Ethiopian commanders.

Source: International Maritime Bureau