With pirates continuing to hijack ships off the coast of Somalia, one hijack attempt took a drastic turn when privately-hired guards on a Panamanian cargo vessel warded of the pirate attack, killing one of the pirates in a gunfight.
It is the first time that a pirate was killed by private guards on a ship.
Pirates on two skiffs tried to hijack the Panamanian cargo vessel, called the Almezaan, but fled after encountering the guards in a firefight. A team from the EU naval force in the region managed to locate and stop the skiffs. On board the two skiffs the team found bullet holes, six suspected pirates, and one dead body killed by gunshots.
Several organizations have expressed concerns that using armed security contractors on ships could encourage pirates to use more violence in their attempts to hijack ships.
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