Hijacked Bermuda-Flagged Ship Arrives In Bargaal
The European Union Naval Force confirmed that the hijacked Bermuda registered ship MV Talca has arrived off the Somali coastal location of Bargaal, which the Naval Force says is not a known pirate holding area.
Bargaal [or Bargal] was the location of a 2007 missile attack by American military forces, with reports from the US that the target was an al-Qaeda operative suspected of involvement in the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
The Talca was hijacked on March 23 while traveling to Busheir in Iran. The hijacking took place approximately 120 nautical miles off the coast of Oman and 180 miles south of Mazera. The ship and its crew was seized in the Gulf of Aden, which is nicknamed “Pirate Alley”, and reported to be one of the most dangerous shipping lanes in the world. The pirates reportedly used two skiffs [small boats] to approach and attack the vessel.
The African Press Agency reports that Governor of Baargaal Ahmed Bile Mohamed confirmed that MV Talca reached his city and people can see it from shore saying:
The pirated ship is here in our coast, but we can do nothing against the pirates, so we call on the international community to strengthen the fight against notorious buccaneers.
The pirates have not yet announced a ransom demand. They will often demand the ransom money in large denomination American cash, and have it dropped from helicopters or sent on small boats.
MV Talca has a crew of 25 onboard, with 23 being from Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the grounds the ship is Bermuda registered and British Virgin Islands owned, has contacted the British authorities to persuade the company which owns this vessel to expedite the negotiation process and ensure the safety and wellbeing of the Sri Lankan crew on aboard this vessel.
There are reports that the MV Talca and her crew may next be taken to Garacad by the pirates. The European Union Naval Force describes Garacad as a “well-known pirate stronghold.”
