According to a report from the Associated Press, Somali pirates armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons attacked a Dutch-operated container ship off the coast of Tanzania but failed to hijack the vessel, a maritime official said Dec. 7. Eight pirates in two speedboats chased and opened fire at the ship about 520 miles east of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, starting a fire on the vessel that was quickly doused by the crew. The ship, which has 19 crew members, flies a Hong Kong flag but is operated out of the Netherlands.
(The Associated Press)