Pirates attempted to hijack a luxury passenger cruise ship, M/S Nautica, in the waters off the coast of Yemen last weekend, but the 30,000-ton vessel was able to successfully outrun them.
Six bandits in two small speedboats, presumably operating from the pirate haven of Somalia, approached the Nautica on Sunday, which was carrying 684 passengers and nearly 400 crew members on a 32-day cruise from Rome to Singapore.
The pirates managed to fire eight rounds at the Nautica before the larger ship was able to increase its speed and pull away to safety.
No passengers nor crew were injured, and there was no damage to the vessel, which safely arrived in Oman early Monday morning.
The incident occurred in the Gulf of Aden, not far from the Somali waters where piracy has been rising to epic proportions over the last year or so.
This is only the second time in recent years that pirates have attempted to hijack a large passenger vessel. In 2005 a cruise ship holding 300 or so passengers was intercepted off the coast of Somalia, but the crew was able to repel the attack.
Pirates tend to target large cargo ships that hold valuable cargo such as oil or armaments, because they can command large ransoms. In just the last year, 100 ships have been attacked and over 40 have been hijacked. 14 vessels are still being held hostage and authorities are in various stages of negotiation with the pirates.
Most pirates hail from the failed Somali state, which has not had a functioning government since 1991. The lack of law and order has prompted many to take to the seas seeking booty and easy payoffs. The average ransom is $1 million per ship.
The waters around the horn of Africa are hard to patrol due to their sheer size, but efforts have been stepped up recently. The Nautica was traveling in waters monitored by a U.S.-led international anti-piracy task force manned by warships, but that did not protect it from attack.
A spokesman for Oceania Cruises Inc., which owns the Nautica, said that the company did not plan to change the routes traveled by its ships in that area. Many cruise lines pass through the Gulf of Aden on their way from the Mediterranean to Asia because it is the shortest and most convenient route.
By Karen Elowitt for Peter Greenberg.com.
Related Links: Associated Press, CNN
Related Articles:
