Pirates pay the price for attacking wrong target

A spokesman for the European Union Naval Force Atalanta confirmed that a bulk carrier with a load of 35,000 tons of soya on board was hijacked on Saturday, approximately 250 nautical miles southwest of the Seychelles.

Although Atalanta does not release the names of vessels that have been hijacked, Alloceans Shipping director Spyros Minas confirmed that the company's 69,041 dwt, Malta-flagged bulker Ariana, which is managed from London by Seven Seas Maritime, was the hijacked vessel.

Capt Minas said there were no injuries to the 24 Ukrainian crew, but the company had not yet been able to make contact with the hijackers.

Reports that an unnamed Ukrainian vessel and a Pakistan-owned vessel, the Al Misan had also been taken, were unconfirmed.

Atalant has warned ships to stay clear of the area for fear of further attacks.

The 11 pirates held on the Nivose had apparently tried to hijack the frigate under the mistaken impression it was a commercial vessel, as they launched their attack into the sun.

French forces were able to stop a mothership and two skiffs after the craft had been spotted by a Spanish reconnaissance aircraft.

Weapons were confiscated from the craft.

In a separate incident, the Portuguese warship Corte-Real captured 19 pirates who were threatening to attack the tanker Krition .

The pirates were subsequently released after discussions with the Portuguese authorities.

Weapons on board the vessel were confiscated.

Nato's Lieutenant Commander Alexandre Fernandes was quoted as saying that almost a kilo of high explosive P4A was found on the pirate skiff.

Meanwhile, a South Korean naval unit rushed to the rescue of a North Korean general cargoship under threat of hijack from suspected pirates in Somali waters yesterday.

The incident was said to have taken place at 0540 hrs, 20 nautical miles south of the Yemeni port city of Aden, according to South Korean news sources.