Warships surround hijacked arms freighter
Warships surrounding freighter hijacked by pirates off Somalian coast
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Sunday, 28, Sep 2008 12:07
A Ukrainian freighter that was hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia has been surrounded by warships, according to reports.
Hijackers seized control of the Faina, which was carrying 33 tanks and military equipment, from Russia to Kenya on Thursday and have now demanded a ransom of $35 million (£19.02 million) for the release of the ship.
Al-Jazeera reports that a US warship and two European Union navy vessels were keeping a close watch on the ship.
Speaking to the news provider, an adviser to the Somalian president, Bile Mohamoud Qabowsade, said: "We are getting information that three warships are tracking the pirates and two of them are very close to the hijacked ship.
"One of these ships is from the United States and the two other ones are from the European Union countries," he added.
It also quotes a spokesman for Russia's navy, Igor Dygalo, as saying that a frigate had been sent to the Horn of Africa to conduct patrols and to ensure that ships were protected from attacks in the area.
The Associated Press news agency also reports that a US warship and a Russian freighter are on their way to the region.
Many incidents of maritime piracy have been reported around Somalia's coast with pirates seizing control of ships in the hope of obtaining a ransom.