Pirate Attacks Grew 36 Percent in First Half 2011
/Extracted 14JUL2011 from http://www.joc.com/piracy/pirates-ramped-attacks-36-percent-first-half-2011
The Journal of Commerce Online - News Story
“In the last six months, Somali pirates attacked more vessels than ever before and they’re taking higher risks,” said IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan. “This June, for the first time, pirates fired on ships in rough seas in the Indian Ocean during the monsoon season. In the past, they would have stayed away in such difficult conditions."...
Ships, including oil and chemical tankers, are increasingly being attacked with automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade launchers. Whereas five years ago pirates were just as likely to brandish a knife as a gun, guns were used in 160 attacks and knives in 35 attacks this year.
A surge in particularly violent and highly organized attacks has hit the coast of West Africa this year. The report listed 12 attacks on tankers off Benin since March, an area where no incidents were reported in 2010....