Somali pirates attack North Korean cargoship
A NORTH Korean general cargoship was attacked by Somali pirates this morning, according to reports from private security sources in the region. Independent confirmation was not immediately available. The vessel has been named as Chong Chon Gang, and according to Lloyd’s maritime Intelligence Unit, is a 1979-built,14,000 dwt general cargoship operated by a Pyongyang-based company. The attack, which was seen off by the vessel’s self-protection measures, is said to have been carried out by men on a white hulled speedboat operating with a mothership. Occupants were armed with automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades. Nick Davis of Gulf of Aden Group Transits pointed out that the incident marks the third attack this week off the eastern seaboard of Somalia from Socotra down to the Mozambique channel, and may mean that southern clans are starting to get involved in piracy. “The industry needs to start thinking about risk assessment and operating procedures for the Indian Ocean and Mozambique Channel,” he added.