Somali pirates seize chem ship, free another

17 November 2008 01:45  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS news)--Somali pirates hijacked a combined chemical and oil tanker carrying 23 crew after freeing another vessel that had been held captive for more than two months, according to news media reports on Sunday.

Gunmen seized the Chemstar Venus and its crew of five South Koreans and 18 Filipinos off the coast of Somalia on Saturday, according to the Associated Press and the Voice of America. The vessel is owned by a Japanese company, according to reports.

The hijacking occurred after pirates freed the Hong Kong-flagged Stolt Valor and its crew after a $1.1m (€869,000) ransom was paid, according to Reuters. The Stolt Valor was seized in September.

In a separate incident, Russia’s navy said it thwarted the seizure of a Saudi-owned vessel during a pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden on Saturday, according to news reports.

Pirate attacks off the Somali coast have surged in recent weeks, according to news accounts.

($1 = €0.79)

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By: Brian Ford
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