Another Sri Lankan crew held by pirates

Rasika SOMARATHNA

Thirteen Sri Lankans are reported to be among the crew of a Saudi Arabian oil tanker, hijacked by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, close to the Somali waters Monday.

AFP news agency quoting Andrew Mwangura, head of the East African Seafarers Assistance Program, yesterday reported that MT AL Nisr Al Saudi, a 5,136 deadweight-tonne tanker, was seized Monday by Somali Pirates, with its Greek Captain and 13 Sri Lankan crew members.

The tanker was reportedly on its way from Japan to Jeddah.

When contacted by the Daily News, a Foreign Ministry Official said that they were looking into the matter and added that a clearer picture would emerge by today.

Last week three Sri Lankans including the captain of the cargo ship Ro-Ro MV Leila, being held off the Somali port of Berbera since September 15, 2009, were freed. The latest piracy attack on another vessel in the Gulf of Aden, considered one of the busiest trade routes in the world with reportedly 100 ships using the route daily, comes in spite of an unprecedented anti-piracy naval deployment in the area with the co-operation of several countries.