Yemen Oil tanker recovered, 11 pirates detained

ADEN, April 27 (Saba) – Yemen's navy released on Monday an oil
tanker hijacked earlier by Somali pirates in the pirate-plagued Gulf
of Aden, naval sources said.

A soldier and five of the crew onboard the tanker were injured, the
sources said.

Early on Monday, naval forces carried out a release operation which
resulted in recovering the tanker, releasing the crew and the arrest
of 11 pirates.

Two pirates were killed and one injured as marine troops clashed
with pirates to retake over the tanker, Qana, sources at the Defense
Ministry said.

The tanker was returning to the southern port city of Aden from
Mukalla province where it had unloaded its cargo when pirates took
it.

On Sunday, two pirates were killed, one injured and four arrested as
Yemeni naval forces freed three ships which Somali pirates hijacked
off Aden.

Troops used helicopters to hunt pirates and retake over ships.

However, naval sources then said pirates could seize an oil tanker
which was returning from Mukalla seaport.

The hijacking was the latest in a series of recent pirate attacks in
the Indian Ocean.

Many pirates have been captured as NATO forces patrolling the Gulf
of Aden freed seized ships and prevented attempted attacks against
others.

FR