MWC News - A Site Without Borders - - Somali pirates take Spanish vessel

Apr 21 2008

Somali pirates take Spanish vessel

Arab World

By Agencies

French hostages snatched in the same waters were released after a reported ransom payment [EPA]
A Spanish tuna fishing boat has been boarded by Somali pirates and its 26-member crew taken hostage.

The pirates are thought to be sailing the boat, damaged in the attack, to the Somali coast.

The incident on Sunday comes just days after pirates released the 30-strong crew of a French yacht which was taken on April 11 in the same waters.

The fishing vessel, Playa de Bakio, had 13 Spanish nationals and 13 foreign crew members on board, public radio RNE reported.

Spain's foreign ministry said no one was injured in the attack, apparently carried out by four pirates using grenade launchers.

Benjamin Jones, a journalist based in Madrid, said Spain's ministries of foreign affairs and defence were in contact with what the authorities were calling friendly and allied nations in the area to ask for military assistance.

"I assume they are speaking about the United States and France's heavy military presence in and off the Horn of Africa, to help them locate the boat, and to stand by them in whatever the next step would be", he said.

Spanish authorities are expecting to hear a ransom demand from the pirates or kidnappers if they reach the Somali mainland, Jones said.

In Paris, an investigation is under way to prosecute six Somali pirates accused of holding the crew of Le Ponant yacht.

The ship's owners reportedly paid a ransom to get the crew released.