Hijacked ship: 9 Filipinos seized
2007-10-31 07:26
Manila - The Philippine government confirmed on Wednesday that nine Filipinos were among 23 crewmen seized by pirates after their tanker was hijacked off northern Somalia.
The Japanese chemical tanker with 23 Korean, Filipino and Myanmar crew on board was hijacked off the coast of northern Somalia on Sunday, a piracy watchdog body announced earlier.
On Tuesday, the US Navy helped the crew of a separate North Korean cargo vessel regain control of their freighter in a violent struggle after it was captured by pirates off Mogadishu port.
In Manila, the department of foreign affairs said on Wednesday it was co-ordinating with the Japanese ship's owners, the Japanese government and international shipping authorities to secure the crew's safe release.
The International Maritime Bureau, which broke the news of the hijacking, had warned that the lack of a central government in Somalia complicated any effort to free the hostages.
Somalia, which lied at the mouth of the Red Sea, had been without an effective government since the 1991 ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre sparked a bloody power struggle.