Danish couple, three children and crew seized in Gulf of Aden days after US hostages shot dead by pirates
Pirates have hijacked a Danish sailing boat as it crossed the Indian Ocean with four adults and three children on board, Denmark's government said.
The Danish foreign ministry said the ship sent a distress signal on Thursday. On board was a Danish couple, their three children aged between 12 and 16, and two adult crew members, also Danes.
Most hostages captured in the pirate-infested waters off east Africa are professional sailors rather than families. Pirates are not known to have captured children before.
"It has now been confirmed that the sailboat was hijacked by pirates in the Indian Ocean," the ministry said in a statement.
Two days before the Danish boat sent the distress signal, four Americans were killed by Somali pirates in a hostage standoff. They were the first Americans to be killed by Somali pirates since a wave of attacks began six years ago.
The Danish foreign minister, Lene Espersen, said she was "deeply concerned" about the situation and expressed her sympathies to the Danes on the boat and their relatives.
"It is almost unbearable to think that there are children involved and I can only sharply denounce the pirates' actions," Espersen said.
Government officials would do everything in their power to help the Danes, she said, but would not be releasing details, "since experience shows that it doesn't help in resolving the case".
Danish news agency Ritzau said the foreign ministry believed the boat was heading towards Somalia.
In a separate incident, the European Union naval force said Somali pirates had hijacked a Greek-owned cargo vessel with 23 crew on board.
The MV Dover was seized on Monday in the north Arabian sea, 260 miles (420km) north-east of the Omani port of Salalah, the naval force said. The MV Dover was on its way to Yemen from Pakistan when it was attacked. It was registered with shipping and naval authorities.
Three Romanians, 19 Filipinos and a Russian were on board the Panama-flagged vessel.
Meanwhile, pirates released the MV Izumi on Friday, the naval force said. The Panama-flagged vessel and its Filipino crew of 20 were believed to be sailing to a safe port. There is no information on the condition of the vessel or the crew. The ship was hijacked in October last year.
Somali pirates have extended their range east and south after increased naval patrols in the Gulf of Aden. They are holding more than 660 hostages and some 30 vessels. If a vessel's owner is unable to pay the multimillion dollar ransoms demanded by the pirates, they keep the vessel and use it to stalk others.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/01/somali-pirates-capture-danish-family
Qatar Entertainment Asia Simon Barker Arsenal Blackburn Rovers
No comments:
Post a Comment