Pirates Release Belgian Ship--Two Vessels Attacked in Malaysia--Arab States Join to Fight Pirates

Belgian ship has been held since April 2009:

Somali pirates released the Belgian ship, POMPEI, and 10 crew members who were hijacked in April. The ship was seized north of the archipelago republic of Seychelles on April 18, 2009.

The Belgian-flagged ship is a 1,482 gross ton stone dredger and had a Dutch captain and a crew of two Belgians, three Filipinos and four Croats. All were reported to be in good health. The ship and crew were released after the shipping company paid a ransom.

Pirates attacked and LPG and cargo ship in South China Sea near Malaysia:

An LPG tanker, SIGLOO DISCOVERY, off the coast of Indonesia was boarded by six pirates armed with crowbars, knives, and batons. The crew including the vessel’s master, second officer and a crewmember were tied up. The pirates took cash, laptops, cell phones and a wrist watch.

A broadcast from the LPG tanker’s AIS warned other vessels in the area about the attack and to be on the lookout for small boats approaching. But, despite the warnings a Panama-registered cargo ship, WHITE TOKIO, transporting limestone was also attacked in the same area.

The cargo ship was boarded by six pirates who held two Indonesian crewmembers as hostages. The pirates demanded money from the master, who complied. No one was hurt during the attack.

Arab Anti-piracy Force Proposed:

Arab states of the Gulf and Red Sea said they are planning a joint anti-piracy force insisting defense of the Red Sea was the responsibility of the littoral states.

The task force lead by the Saudis include representatives from Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The group said it was necessary to prevent the spread of piracy to the Red Sea or the Gulf.

The task force is design ways of cooperating with the flotillas from some 20 foreign countries now patrolling sea lanes in the Gulf of Aden and off the Horn of Africa to stop pirate attacks. The group agreed it is important to assist the multinational forces in combating piracy in the region.