Two Somali Pirates Arrested in Hijacking

Two Somali pirates accused of hijacking a Japanese tanker have been arrested in northeastern Somalia, but up to a dozen more were still on the run.

The chemical tanker Golden Nori, seized off the Somali coast six weeks ago, was released Wednesday along with its 22 crew, who apparently were unharmed. The U.S. Navy, which has led international patrols to try to combat piracy in the region, said the release meant that Somali pirates were holding no ships for the first time in more than a year. The police have arrested two of the pirates with their guns and they are tracking down the rest. Somali pirates, who have hijacked more than two dozen ships this year, are trained fighters and in some cases linked to the powerful Somali clans. They are outfitted with sophisticated arms and GPS devices that lead them to merchant ships, vessels carrying aid, and once even a cruise ship.
Read More