By Brandon Kaufman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

NAIROBI, Kenya– The crew of a Turkish-flagged carrier is now back in control of the vessel after pirates abandoned the ship.  The ship was hijacked while en route to the Kenyan port of Mombasa.

The vessel, the Yasin C, was seized on Wednesday approximately 250 miles east of Mombasa.  Andrew Mwangura, of the East African Seafarer’s Assistance Program, told Reuters that the “Yasin C was abandoned yesterday.  The pirates abandoned it, and I think the crew will seek aid from the navy before coming to Mombasa.  All the 25 crew were unharmed.”  He added that the vessel had yet to arrive in Mombasa.

Faith Kabal, a spokesman for Bergen Shipping which operates the vessel, told Turkey’s state run news agency that “the ship’s captain gave the good news that the pirates had abandoned the ship.”  The crew had apparently locked themselves in the engine room until they realized the pirates were gone.

Over the last few years, piracy groups have seized dozens of ships in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.  And despite increased international naval patrols, pirate activity is expected to increase in the coming months as weather in the area is expected to improve.

It is unknown at this point why the pirates abandoned the vessel.

In a related story, the United States Navy said it captured six suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden when the pirates opened fire on a navy vessel with small arms from their boat.  The USS Ashland fired two rounds at the pirate skiff from her 25-mm gun said a Navy spokesman.  The skiff caught fire and the suspected pirates abandoned their boat.  Personnel of the Ashland then deployed to assist the pirates who were in the water near the skiff.

For more information, please see:

National Turk- Hijacked Turkish Cargo Ship Released by Pirates in Indian Ocean– 10 April 2010

Reuters- Pirates Abandon Turkish-Flagged Ship off Kenya– 10 April 2010

AHN- Turkish Vessel Hijacked by Somali Pirates– 10 April 2010