Pirates 'overpowered' off Somalia

BBC News

A group of pirates that hijacked a cargo ship in the waters off Somalia have been overpowered by the ship's crew, according to one official.

The ship's capture was reported on Tuesday morning by the East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme.

But a few hours later, the programme's Andrew Mwangura said the ship's 22 crew had regained control of the vessel.

Somalia is notorious for piracy. Only Indonesia's waters are considered more prone to pirate attacks.

Only on Monday, a Japanese vessel was seized off the East African coast.

After Tuesday's hijack, militiamen demanded a $15,000 (£7,250) ransom to free the vessel, said Paddy Ankunda, a spokesman for African Union troops in the Somali capital Mogadishu.

"The hijacking was masterminded by the same people who were supposed to bring it into the dock," he said.

The freighter had apparently unloaded its cargo - thought to have been sugar - by the time of its capture.

Mr Mwangura said the crew were sailing the ship back to Mogadishu after defeating the pirates.

"I hear the crew on the ship overpowered the gunmen. The crew were 22 while the gunmen were eight," he said.