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Seized tanker anchors off Somalia Seized tanker anchors off Somalia
(about 2 hours later)
A huge Saudi oil tanker hijacked in the Indian Ocean on Saturday is believed to have anchored off the coast of Somalia, its operators have said. Pirates have anchored a hijacked Saudi oil tanker off the Somali coast, as the spate of hijackings gathered pace with two more ships seized on Tuesday.
Vela International said that all 25 crew were said to be safe. Vela International said all 25 crew on the Sirius Star - the biggest tanker ever hijacked - were said to be safe.
The Sirius Star is the biggest tanker ever hijacked, with a cargo of 2m barrels - a quarter of Saudi Arabia's daily output - worth more than $100m. The vessel is carrying a cargo of 2m barrels - a quarter of Saudi Arabia's daily output - worth more than $100m.
Pirates hold several ships in the area. A cargo ship and a fishing vessel were also seized on Tuesday, officials say. A cargo ship and a fishing vessel were the latest to join more than 90 vessels attacked by the pirates this year.
Pirates attacked a Hong Kong cargo vessel early on Tuesday in the Gulf of Aden, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said. Chinese media said the ship, with a crew of 25, was carrying wheat intended for Iran. A Hong Kong cargo vessel was attacked early on Tuesday morning in the Gulf of Aden, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said. Chinese media said the ship, with a crew of 25, was carrying wheat intended for Iran.
The other vessel, a fishing boat registered in Kiribati, was carrying a crew of 12, the IMB said. Its owners lost contact with it on Tuesday morning.The other vessel, a fishing boat registered in Kiribati, was carrying a crew of 12, the IMB said. Its owners lost contact with it on Tuesday morning.
Pirates in the area now hold more than 90 vessels, the IMB says.
'Outrageous act''Outrageous act'
The Sirius Star was seized on Saturday off the Kenyan coast in what the US Navy called an "unprecedented" attack. The Sirius Star was seized on Saturday 450 nautical miles (830km) off the Kenyan coast.
A statement issued by Vela said the company believed the ship had anchored, adding: "At this time, Vela is awaiting further contact from the pirates in control of the vessel." SOMALIA PIRACY 92 attacks this year - most in the Gulf of Aden36 successful hijackings14 ships currently held, including the MV Faina carrying tanks268 crew held hostage Source: International Maritime Bureau, 2008 class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7734985.stm">Q&A: Somalia piracy class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7735144.stm">Rules frustrate anti-piracy efforts class="" href="/1/hi/technology/7735685.stm">Technology sets sights on piracy
An official from the northern breakaway Somali Puntland region told AFP news agency that the ship had anchored off the port of Harardhere. The report could not be confirmed. The South Korean-built vessel, which is about the length of a US aircraft carrier, was heading for the US via the southern tip of Africa when it was hijacked.
SOMALIA PIRACY 92 attacks this year - most in the Gulf of Aden36 successful hijackings14 ships currently held, including the MV Faina carrying tanks268 crew held hostage Source: International Maritime Bureau, 2008 class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7734985.stm">Q&A: Somalia piracy class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7735144.stm">Rules frustrate anti-piracy efforts The US Navy described the seizure as an "unprecedented" attack. It confirmed that the tanker had anchored off the Somali coast near the town of Harardhere.
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister condemned the hijacking as "an outrageous act". Vela said in a statement that it was "awaiting further contact from the pirates in control of the vessel".
Prince Saud Al-Faisal said the international community needed to fight piracy. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal condemned the hijacking as "an outrageous act", but gave no indication of what action, if any, Saudi Arabia intended to take.
Speaking during a visit to Athens, he compared piracy to terrorism describing it is "a disease which is against everybody, and everybody must address it together".
The prince gave no indication of what action, if any, Saudi Arabia intended to take over the hijacking.
Nato said it had no plans to divert any of its three warships from the Gulf of Aden. And the US Navy's 5th Fleet also said it did not expect to send ships to try to intercept the oil tanker.
Poland's foreign ministry confirmed on Tuesday that the ship's captain is one of two Poles on board the vessel.
"The other is a technical officer," said spokesman Piotr Paszkowski.
Somalis on shore spoke of their surprise at seeing the huge vessel pass just off the coast.Somalis on shore spoke of their surprise at seeing the huge vessel pass just off the coast.
"I headed for the sea to fish, but I saw a very, very large ship anchored less than three miles (5km) off the shore," said fisherman Abdinur Haji. "I headed for the sea to fish, but I saw a very, very large ship anchored less than three miles (5km) off the shore," said Abdinur Haji, a fisherman in Harardhere.
"I have been fishing here for three decades, but I have never seen a ship as big as this one," he said."I have been fishing here for three decades, but I have never seen a ship as big as this one," he said.
Response teamResponse team
Vela International said a response team had been mobilised to work towards ensuring the safe release of vessel and crew.Vela International said a response team had been mobilised to work towards ensuring the safe release of vessel and crew.
Vela said the crew consisted of two British, two Polish, one Croatian, one Saudi and 19 Philippine nationals. It said the crew consisted of two British, two Polish, one Croatian, one Saudi and 19 Philippine nationals. The captain is a Pole, Poland's foreign ministry confirmed. THE SIRIUS STAR Can carry 2m barrels of oil Biggest vessel to be hijacked class="" href="/1/hi/uk/7735258.stm">'I thought pirates would kill me' class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7623329.stm">Life in Somalia's pirate town class="" href="/1/hi/magazine/7729256.stm">From cutlass to AK-47 class="" href="/1/hi/uk/7735088.stm">UK hands over pirate suspects
The hijacking - 450 nautical miles (830km) off the Kenyan coast - was highly unusual in terms of the size of the ship, says BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner. BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says that the hijacking was highly unusual because of the size of the ship involved and marks a major escalation in piracy.
The seizure points to the inability of a multi-national naval task force sent to the region earlier this year to stop Somali piracy, he says.The seizure points to the inability of a multi-national naval task force sent to the region earlier this year to stop Somali piracy, he says.
US Navy Adm Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the pirates involved were well trained. Commander Jane Campbell, of the US Navy's 5th Fleet, told the BBC it had warned shipping companies that the US naval presence could "not be everywhere".
THE SIRIUS STAR Can carry 2m barrels of oil Biggest vessel to be hijacked class="" href="/1/hi/uk/7735258.stm">'I thought pirates would kill me' class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7623329.stm">Life in Somalia's pirate town class="" href="/1/hi/magazine/7729256.stm">From cutlass to AK-47 "For that reason we have strongly encouraged proactive self-protection measures for the companies," she added.
"Once they get to a point where they can board, it becomes very difficult to get them off, because, clearly, now they hold hostages," he told a Pentagon briefing in Washington.
Commander Jane Campbell, of the US Navy's 5th Fleet, told the BBC it had warned shipping companies that the US naval presence could "not be everywhere", adding: "For that reason we have strongly encouraged proactive self-protection measures for the companies."
Hijackings off the coast of East Africa and the Gulf of Aden - an area of more than 1m sq miles - make up one-third of all global piracy incidents this year, according the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).
They are usually resolved peacefully through negotiations for ransom but, given the value of the cargo in this instance, a military response has not been ruled out, our correspondent says.
Fourteen vessels - including the Ukrainian freighter MV Faina carrying 33 tanks and other military hardware, which was seized in September - remain captive in Somalia and under negotiation with around 268 crew being held hostage, according to the IMB.
The group's Piracy Reporting Centre said it had records of 92 attacks against vessels so far this year, including 36 successful hijackings.
This month alone, pirates have seized a Japanese cargo ship off Somalia, a Chinese fishing boat off Kenya and a Turkish ship transporting chemicals off Yemen.
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War-torn Somalia has not had an effective government since 1991 and the anarchy on land has spread to the high seas in recent years.War-torn Somalia has not had an effective government since 1991 and the anarchy on land has spread to the high seas in recent years.
The South Korean-built Sirius Star was seized as it headed for the US via the southern tip of Africa, prompting a rise in crude oil prices on global markets. Hijackings off the coast of East Africa and the Gulf of Aden - an area of more than 1m sq miles - make up one-third of all global piracy incidents this year, according the IMB.
The route around the Cape of Good Hope is a main thoroughfare for fully-laden supertankers from the Gulf. They are usually resolved peacefully through negotiations for ransom.
With a capacity of 318,000 dead weight tonnes, the ship is 330m (1,080ft) long - about the length of a US aircraft carrier. Fourteen vessels currently remain captive in Somalia, with around 268 crew being held hostage, according to the IMB. One is a Ukrainian freighter seized in September carrying 33 tanks.
Owned by the Saudi company Aramco, it made its maiden voyage in March. Shipping companies are now weighing up the risks of using the short-cut route to Europe via the Suez canal.
"Under normal circumstances we send about 23 ships a week through the Gulf of Aden," Jan Hammer, chief operating officer of Norwegian firm Odfjell, told the BBC.
"Because of the situation with the piracy we have decided that we are no longer - at least until the situation has been rectified - going to send ships through that area, which means that the ships will be routed via the Cape of Good Hope."
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