Manama (Bahrain): The US Navy says commercial shipping vessels have thwarted five attempted hijackings by pirates in the busy shipping channel off the Horn of Africa.
The five incidents happened yesterday in the Gulf of Aden off Africa's east coast. That is where Somali pirates have been besieging merchant ships, freighters and fishing trawlers in search of million-dollar ransoms.
In two of the attempts, pirates fired shots. But the ship crews were able to repel the assailants through evasive maneuvering and by blasting the pirates boasts with fire hoses.
The US-led naval coalition that helps patrol the area announced the attempted hijackings today in a statement released at its headquarters in Bahrain.
