Private guard kills Somali pirate in Gulf of Aden

March 25, 2010 A private security guard, defending the Panamanian based MV Almezaan, killed a Somali pirate who was attempting to hijack the ship on Tuesday. This is the first time that a private contractor has killed a pirate in the Gulf of Aden.

The pirates came up to the ship with two small vessels and one large "mother-ship". As the small boats approached the Almezaan, the ship's contractors opened fire, and killed one of the pirates. Then European Union and Yemeni naval vessels surrounded the pirates, who attempted to flee. They were then apprehended.

The EU's Naval Force Somalia released a statement saying that "[t]he body has been transferred to [the Spanish naval ship] Navarra, an investigation indicated that the individual had died from small caliber gunshot wounds."

The incident came after pirates captured Turkish and Bermudan ships earlier Tuesday, capturing a total of 46 people.