Somali pirates sail rings round world’s biggest navies
Somali pirates have done two extraordinary things so far this week. They have attacked an oil tanker nearly 1,850km from the Somalia coast - which is a new long-distance record - and also seized a ship loaded with weapons bound for their home country, which contravenes a UN arms embargo (the weapons are said to be for the fragile UN-backed government). The Hong Kong-registered tanker got away, but reports say the weapons vessel is being held near the northern Somali town of Garacad. Naval patrols from the EU, US, China, India and Japan are involved in anti-piracy operations, mainly around the major shipping lane in the Gulf of Aden. But even with that firepower, the pirates are still taking the mickey. Read more: BBC, Reuters
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