MOGADISHU, Somalia Apr 3 2012 (Garowe Online) – An Iranian cargo ship, the MV Eglantine was released by Somali pirates who captured the vessel near Maldives 8 days earlier, Radio Garowe reports.
According to sources pirates released the Iranian owned ship after taking a ransom on Monday. The amount paid for the cargo ship is unknown.
The Bolivian flagged shipping vessel was bound to Iran carrying a cargo of sugar from Brazil when it was captured in Maldives waters. Four out of the 8 ships being held in Somali waters belong to companies in UAE
As calm waters due to seasonal trends, make traveling long distances easy the EU Naval forces stationed in and around Somali waters have had their hands full.
On the same day MV Eglantine was captured by pirates a Hong Kong owned vessel was allegedly attacked but a private security team on board fired ‘warning shots’ at the men who fled. They were later spotted and stopped by the EU naval warship FS Aconit but the men were not carrying weapons on board the skiff. Two of the suspected pirates were treated for injuries sustained from the warning shots fired by the private security team.
As attacks on shipping vessels traveling in and around Somali waters have decreased over the years, incidents of foreign naval forces mistaking fishermen for pirates have increased in Somali waters. An article released by Somalia Report, reported that two fishermen were killed by the US Navy. According to Somalia Report the US navy shot and killed the fishermen mistakenly.
