PIRACY: Kenya - Friday, March 6, 2009
Somali pirates opened fire on a merchant vessel in the Indian Ocean around 265 nautical miles (490 kilometres) east of the Kenyan port of Mombasa.

6 pirates in a small boat quickly approached the merchant vessel and at a distance of 100m fired a rocket from an RPG (rocket propelled grenade).

The merchant vessel took appropriate evasive anti-piracy measures and escaped without any damage or injuries.

This is the eighth firearms attack in 6 months towards merchant vessels in the Indian Ocean south of the equator.

Despite a in attacks during the first months of 2009, then the Somali pirates still hold 10 ships for ransom off the coast of Somalia.