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unusual facts about Somali pirates



A Captain's Duty

Published by Hyperion on April 6, 2010 (and on audio by Tantor), it tells the story of Phillips' capture and hostage-taking by Somali pirates in April 2009.

Action of 7 September 2009

The Action of 7 September 2009 took place when the German frigate Brandenburg, taking part of Operation Atalanta, chased and captured a pirate skiff south of Al Mukalla, in the Gulf of Aden, after suspicious activity was spotted on the small vessel by the frigate’s helicopter during a reconnaissance mission.

Cheonghae Unit

In January 2011, commandos in the Cheonghae Unit successfully executed a highly publicized rescue of a South Korean tanker, freeing crew members held hostage by Somali pirates.

Danish Refugee Council

In October 2011, two DRC workers on a demining project, were captured by Somali pirates in Galkayo.

MV Sirius Star

The ship received international attention when it was hijacked by Somali pirates (allegedly under the orders of piracy kingpin Mohamed Abdi Hassan) on 15 November 2008, becoming the largest ship ever captured by pirates.


see also

Action of 23 March 2010

The MV Almezaan had already been attacked and captured twice by Somali pirates over the past few years.

Cheonghae Unit

On April 4, 2010, Somali pirates took over the South Korean supertanker Samho Dream along with its 24 crew members, including five Koreans and nineteen Filipinos.

Kenny Gallo

Gallo also appears on the Discovery Channel show Flipped: A Mobster Tells All Kenny "Kenji" Gallo and Spike TV's Deadliest Warrior, where he served as an expert for the Medellin Cartel in "Somali Pirates vs. Medellin Cartel."

Medal of Honor: Warfighter

Shortly after the operation, Mako is assigned to the USS Bainbridge, where a stand off takes place with Somali pirates and the U.S Navy involving the hostage situation with a U.S. captain just off the Somali coast.