Somali pirates attack US-flagged Maersk Alabama for second time but the ship was not overtaken. Somali pirates opened fire on the Maersk Alabama with automatic weapons early on Wednesday morning.
A press release issued today by the U.S. Navy states that four suspected pirates in a skiff came within 300 yards of the Maersk Alabama at 6.30 a.m. Wednesday about 600 miles off the northeast coast of Somalia as it headed for the Kenyan port of Mombasa.
"Due to Maersk Alabama following maritime industry's best-practices such as embarking security teams, the ship was able to prevent being successfully attacked by pirates," said Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. "This is a great example of how merchant mariners can take pro-active action to prevent being attacked and why we recommend that ships follow industry best practices if they're in high-risk areas."
A security detachment with the huge container ship responded immediately and the vessel managed to escape with no casualties reported.
In April 2009, the captain of the Maersk Alabama, Richard Phillips, volunteered to board a lifeboat with pirates in return for the safety of his 19 crew members. He was held for several days aboard the lifeboat, which was closely trailed by a U.S. warship. The standoff ended when U.S. Navy snipers shot and killed the three pirates. A fourth pirate was captured and taken to the U.S. to stand trial.
Cheryl Phillips
HULIQ.com
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