Pirates deploy NYK vessel as mother ship, use crew as-shields

The NYK-operated 20,200-ton Izumi, a 3-year-old geared general cargo carrier, hijacked last month, has since been deployed by Somali pirates as a mother ship, using its 20 Filipino hostage crew as a shields against possible attack by naval forces patrolling off the Horn of Africa

The European Union Naval Force Somalia (EU NAVFOR) said the Panamanian-flagged vessel loosed a volley of small arms fire at a Spanish warship, which responded with warning shots. The attack is not likely to be its first in the Gulf of Aden, reports London`s Containerisation International.