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Somali pirates 'seize 30 tanks' | Somali pirates 'seize 30 tanks' |
(10 minutes later) | |
Pirates off the coast of Somalia have seized a Ukrainian ship carrying T-72 tanks, an official has said. | Pirates off the coast of Somalia have seized a Ukrainian ship carrying T-72 tanks, an official has said. |
Ukraine's foreign ministry said the ship had a crew of 21 and was sailing under a Belize flag to the Kenyan port of Mombasa. | Ukraine's foreign ministry said the ship had a crew of 21 and was sailing under a Belize flag to the Kenyan port of Mombasa. |
A report from Russia's Interfax news agency said earlier that the ship had a cargo of about 30 tanks, as well as spare parts for armoured vehicles. | A report from Russia's Interfax news agency said earlier that the ship had a cargo of about 30 tanks, as well as spare parts for armoured vehicles. |
There has been a recent surge in piracy off the coast of Somalia. | There has been a recent surge in piracy off the coast of Somalia. |
Somali pirates are currently holding more than a dozen hijacked ships in the base in Eyl, a town in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland. | Somali pirates are currently holding more than a dozen hijacked ships in the base in Eyl, a town in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland. |
Andrew Mwngura, who runs the Kenya chapter of the Seafarers Assistance Programme, confirmed to the BBC that the Ukrainian ship seized by pirates was carrying a cargo of tanks. | Andrew Mwngura, who runs the Kenya chapter of the Seafarers Assistance Programme, confirmed to the BBC that the Ukrainian ship seized by pirates was carrying a cargo of tanks. |
The tanks were due to be delivered to South Sudan. | The tanks were due to be delivered to South Sudan. |
Insurgents in Somalia, not known to have links to the pirates, are currently battling a combination of government troops, their Ethiopian allies and African Union peacekeepers in Mogadishu and other parts of southern Somalia. | |
The country has not had an effective national government for 17 years, leading to a collapse of law and order both on land and the sea. |