Somalia: Pirates Killed, Fishermen Free

A gun battle has occurred during the rescue of fishermen held by Somali pirates off the nation’s coast.

Media reports indicate that an unknown number of pirates were killed on the Iraninan fishing vessel, although it is unclear whether or not international agencies were involved in the rescue or whether the 15 fishermen themselves took the initiative.

Seven pirates may have been killed and another two injured, and the fishing boat, Muhammidi, has now reportedly left the coast.

The Iranian ship was taken on Sunday November 22 in waters off northern Somali city of Eyl.

Two other Iranian fishing ships were captured by suspected pirates in March. The 16 crew from one boat managed to raise anchor and escape in August, but the other ship and 26 crew remain in captivity.

There have been three other unsuccessful sea attacks by Somali pirates in the past few weeks.

Somali officials say the decline in piracy in recent years has emboldened foreign-flagged illegal fishing vessels to plunder Somalia's fish stocks closer to shore, bringing them within reach of pirate gangs.

In a report published in October, the U.N. Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group said it was concerned that illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing by foreign vessels may re-establish the conflict dynamic with local fishing communities that contributed to the rise of piracy a decade ago.

The last outbreak of Somali piracy, at the end of the previous decade, cost the world's shipping industry billions of dollars as pirates paralyzed shipping lanes, kidnapped hundreds of seafarers and seized vessels more than 1,000 miles from Somalia's coastline.