A Somali pirate says the kidnapped crews of two Egyptian fishing
vessels have won their freedom after attacking their pirate captors.
One
of the pirates on board, who called himself Miraa, says the hostages
overpowered them with machetes Thursday. He said the Egyptian crews
then seized guns from the pirates, killing two of his colleagues.
Shipping officials say the Egyptians are now in control of their ships and are heading home.
The pirates had held the Egyptian crews hostage since mid-April.
The
case marks a rare instance of crewmen fighting back against Somali
pirates who usually hold their hostages for months seeking large ransom
payments.
In another development, a Turkish cargo ship evaded an attack by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden Friday.
Turkey's
military says pirates had been following the cargo ship Elgiznur Cebi
but gave up trying to capture it when a German helicopter led by NATO
forces in the region reached the scene.
A flotilla of foreign naval vessels off Somalia has failed to slow the rampant piracy.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
