Somali pirates strike again

A warship was today on its way to a Spanish fishing boat with 26 crew hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia.

The Spanish government has formed a high-level crisis unit to try to secure the release of the boat and ordered a frigate which was on exercise in the region to move to the scene.

Reports said the pirates were demanding money and fired a grenade launcher at the fishing boat before boarding it.

Spanish National Radio said it contacted the skipper of the vessel today and he said the crew members are fine and "for now there are no problems".

It did not give the name of the skipper, who said the fishing boat was now moving toward the Somali coast.

The Spanish Embassy in Kenya, which has responsibility for Somalia, has begun "contacts with authorities in the area", the ministry said.

Spanish authorities have contacted the African Union, Nato, France and Britain for help because Spain has no embassy in Somalia.

The vessel is a tuna boat based in the port of Bermeo in Spain's Basque region.

Somali waters are notoriously dangerous.

Earlier this month Somali pirates seized a French luxury yacht and held 30 crew members aboard hostage for a week. They were freed in apparent exchange for a ransom payment.

French troops then captured six of the pirates in Somalia and they have been extradited to Paris to face trial.