French-owned tanker seized off Ivory Coast freed February 6, 2013 - 21:09 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A French-owned ship seized by pirates off Ivory Coast on Sunday, Feb 3, has been freed, the vessel's owner has said, according to BBC News. Sea Tankers said two of the 17 sailors on board the M/T Gascogne were receiving medical attention after being injured during the hijacking. The diesel tanker was seized off Ivory Coast's port city of Abidjan with a crew that included Africans and Asians. Pirate attacks off the West African coast have increased in recent years, either for ransom or fuel theft. Last month, armed hijackers freed a tanker seized off Ivory Coast after escaping with fuel worth $5m, said its Nigerian-based owner, Brila Energy. Sea Tankers did not say how the M/T Gascogne was freed or what the motive of the hijackers was. But it said it wanted to thank naval forces and state authorities for helping to secure the vessel's release. "Sea Tankers are very pleased all 17 seafarers are reported safe. However, sadly, two seafarers were injured during the incident but are [being] taken care of," it said in a statement. On Sunday, Ivorian officials said the crew included seven sailors from Togo, four from Benin, two from Ivory Coast, two from Senegal and one each from China and South Korea.   Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot".   Partner news |  Latest news Power of One Dram sums up two-year program with Teach for Armenia  Idram Junior also joined the companies during the visit, bringing with it a fascinating intellectual game for childrenMoscow slams EU mission in Armenia for “provocative activity” The EU mission is doing more and more against Armenia’s neighbors Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, Mikhail Galuzin said.Yerevan Mayor to travel to Paris on May 15-19 The official delegation headed by Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan will travel to Paris from May 15 to 19.Armenia, India hold first defense consultations The meeting was attended by Indian Ambassador Nilakshi Saha Sinha and Defense Attaché Brigadier General Naveen Nijhawan. |
