A Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. ship about 700 kilometers off the coast off Somalia was the attempted target of pirates in the area. The attempt did not succeed.
The attempt, on Saturday, to board the Africa Star, began with light arms fire from two small boats along the ship. The pirate boats were accompanied by a larger ship. The boats pulled along side the Africa Star and the pirates tried to scale the sides of the ship, but did not succeed because of barbed wire that was strung along the sides of the ship.
There were no injuries in the attempt.
In the recent spate of pirates taking over ships in the area, this was the first attempt to board an Israeli ship, an attempt that could have had far reaching consequences.
Zim parent company Israel Corp. (TASE: ILCO) said that after the failed attempt, the pirates returned to their boats and followed the Zim ship for several hours.
The emergency room in Zim's offices in Haifa went into action with the onset of the attack. NATO was contacted through the Foreign Ministry and the Israeli Navy. A British jet flew over the boats later, and reported that the ships had stopped chasing the Zim ship.
Zim chairman Idan Ofer was in contact with the Zim ship's crew, and with NATO and foreign ministry officials, throughout the event.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 5, 2009
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2009