A cargo ship has been hijacked by Somali pirates in Maldivian waters, the first such incident in the area, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has confirmed, Ifw-net reports.
The Bolivian-flagged vessel was hijacked about 190 nautical miles north-west of Hoarafushi island, MNDF spokesman Major Abdul Raheem told local reporters.
He said the MNDF had sent sent defence vessels to the scene of the attack.
The vessel has been identified as the Iranian-owned Eglantine, with 23 crew members on board.
“Since it is a hijacking, it is possible that the pirates will be armed. I cannot give further details on the mission. There are factors to be considered before going to a direct confrontation or rescue,” said Raheem. Foreign authorities have been asked for assistance, he confirmed.
Although acts of piracy have been reported near the Maldives Exclusive Economic Zone, yesterday’s attack is the first to happen in Maldivian waters.
The Maldives is situated at a strategic intersection of sea trade routes, and a significant amount of global maritime traffic passes through or near the country’s northern atolls.
The Maldives’ government first expressed concern over the growing piracy threat in 2010, after small vessels containing Somali nationals began washing up on local islands.
More patrols by international naval vessels, plus the fact that more and more countries are allowing their ships to employ private armed guards as protection, means the pirates are being forced deeper and deeper into the Indian Ocean to find more vulnerable targets.
One piracy expert told a Maldivian newspaper:?“As the ships increase their distance from Somalia in order to feel safer, the pirates follow them, resulting in attacks much farther east than ever before.”
The Bolivian-flagged vessel was hijacked about 190 nautical miles north-west of Hoarafushi island, MNDF spokesman Major Abdul Raheem told local reporters.
He said the MNDF had sent sent defence vessels to the scene of the attack.
The vessel has been identified as the Iranian-owned Eglantine, with 23 crew members on board.
“Since it is a hijacking, it is possible that the pirates will be armed. I cannot give further details on the mission. There are factors to be considered before going to a direct confrontation or rescue,” said Raheem. Foreign authorities have been asked for assistance, he confirmed.
Although acts of piracy have been reported near the Maldives Exclusive Economic Zone, yesterday’s attack is the first to happen in Maldivian waters.
The Maldives is situated at a strategic intersection of sea trade routes, and a significant amount of global maritime traffic passes through or near the country’s northern atolls.
The Maldives’ government first expressed concern over the growing piracy threat in 2010, after small vessels containing Somali nationals began washing up on local islands.
More patrols by international naval vessels, plus the fact that more and more countries are allowing their ships to employ private armed guards as protection, means the pirates are being forced deeper and deeper into the Indian Ocean to find more vulnerable targets.
One piracy expert told a Maldivian newspaper:?“As the ships increase their distance from Somalia in order to feel safer, the pirates follow them, resulting in attacks much farther east than ever before.”