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Somali pirates kill five sailors on a hijacked tanker, the first piracy deaths in more than a decade. Why it matters to Kenya.
Pirates holding a tanker off the coast of Somalia killed five of its crew, officials said this week. They are the first deaths caused by Somali pirates in more than a decade.
The ship, the MT Honour 25, flies the flag of Palau and was carrying 18,500 barrels of oil when it was hijacked off Somalia in April. Three of the dead sailors were from Pakistan, one from Myanmar and one from India. Four other crew members were injured.
What happened next
The Puntland Maritime Police Force took back the ship and captured 16 suspected pirates.
Last week another hijacked tanker, the Sibu 1, was freed. But 28 of the 41 suspected pirates arrested were reported to have escaped while being moved between jails.
Two other tankers, the MT Eureka and the MT Asana, are still being held.
At least 15 attacks have been reported off Somalia since April.
Al Jazeera reported that the return of piracy has been partly blamed on the knock-on effects of the US-Israel war on Iran. India's embassy in Kenya said it was deeply saddened by the Indian sailor's death.
Why it matters to Kenya
Between 2008 and 2014, Somali pirates attacked ships across the Indian Ocean, including ships sailing to and from Mombasa. More attacks can push up insurance and shipping costs for cargo coming into Mombasa and Lamu, and those costs end up in the prices of imported goods in shops across the country.
Sources: Al Jazeera, Garowe Online.
That was a Kibra News Network report, read by an A I voice.
Pirates holding a tanker off the coast of Somalia killed five of its crew, officials said this week. They are the first deaths caused by Somali pirates in more than a decade.
The ship, the MT Honour 25, flies the flag of Palau and was carrying 18,500 barrels of oil when it was hijacked off Somalia in April. Three of the dead sailors were from Pakistan, one from Myanmar and one from India. Four other crew members were injured.
Graphic: Kibra News Network
What happened next
The Puntland Maritime Police Force took back the ship and captured 16 suspected pirates.
Last week another hijacked tanker, the Sibu 1, was freed. But 28 of the 41 suspected pirates arrested were reported to have escaped while being moved between jails.
Two other tankers, the MT Eureka and the MT Asana, are still being held.
At least 15 attacks have been reported off Somalia since April.
Al Jazeera reported that the return of piracy has been partly blamed on the knock-on effects of the US-Israel war on Iran. India’s embassy in Kenya said it was deeply saddened by the Indian sailor’s death.
Why it matters to Kenya
Between 2008 and 2014, Somali pirates attacked ships across the Indian Ocean, including ships sailing to and from Mombasa. More attacks can push up insurance and shipping costs for cargo coming into Mombasa and Lamu, and those costs end up in the prices of imported goods in shops across the country.
KNN Newsroom is the staff byline for stories written, rewritten and edited at the Kibra News Network desk. Where a story credits an outside outlet, the original source is linked at the foot of the piece.
