31 Oct 2009

Somali pirates have hijacked a Yemeni fishing vessel in the Gulf of Aden overnight after a gun battle, in which at least one hijacker was killed.

"We have attacked a Yemeni fishing boat. It was fishing near Eyl last night," pirate Bashir told Reuters by phone from Eyl.

"They had weapons and fought us. They killed one of us and injured another , but we have hijacked it at last. It's in our hands now."

Since last year, an armada of foreign warships has been patrolling the Gulf of Aden in a bid to root out piracy in the notorious region, which is viewed as one of the busiest maritime trade routes on the globe.

Figures released by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) indicate a sharp rise in attacks by pirates in Somali waters.

presstv