Pirate killed by private security guard of Somali coast

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In what could be the first incident of its kind, a Somali pirate was shot and killed by a private armed security guard on board a cargo ship off the coast of Somalia.

(Reuters) – A suspected Somali pirate was killed during shooting between pirates and armed guards on board a Panamanian-flagged ship, a maritime official and the EU anti-piracy taskforce said on Wednesday.

The private guards protecting the MV Almezaan returned fire as they beat back two attacks by the same gang off the coast of lawless Somalia on Tuesday.

In the attack on the MV Almezaan, a patrolling Spanish warship deployed a helicopter that fired warning shots to stop the pirates as they fled the area. Spanish troops seized six individuals, recovered one body and destroyed three pirate vessels. Keep Reading

Eaglespeak has more:

This may be the first reported killing of a pirate by a onboard private security guard since the current wave of Somali piracy began several years ago.

Naturally, this has resulted in some folks getting their panties in a twist.

For example from the BBC:

A number of suspected Somali pirates have been killed by international forces during rescue operations but this is thought to be the first time private security guards have killed a pirate in defence of a ship. Pirates are known to use fire-arms and rocket-propelled grenades in their attacks on ships but rarely harm the crews of vessels they capture.
Several organisations, including the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), have expressed concern that the use of armed security contractors could encourage pirates to be more violent when taking a ship.

Yes, you read it right. Fighting back against people shooting at you with automatic weapons and RPGs will somehow cause an escalation of violence.

• Keep Reading

Also check out:

• Maritime Security Centre
• EUNAVFOR
• Cargolaw’s Piracy Index

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