A court in the Indian Ocean archipelago nation of the Seychelles has sentenced 11 Somali men to 10 years in prison for their roles in an attempt to hijack a Seychelles coastguard boat in December 2009.

The St Vincent & Grenadines flagged cargo ship MV RAK AFRIKANA was hijacked Sunday (4/11) morning approximately 280 nautical miles west of Seychelles.

AFP reports that early information about the crew being Chinese was wrong, and Chinese officials now say the crew is comprised of 28 people from India, Pakistan and Tanzania.

The U.S. Navy said today (4/1) that the crew of the USS Nicholas (FFG 47) captured five suspected pirates after exchanging fire with them west of the Seychelles.

The Nicholas engaged the pirates after being fired upon early this morning. The crew also sunk one skiff and confiscated the pirate's mother ship.

This is at least the second incident this week in which pirates have attacked one of the warships operating in the region.

On Monday the Seychelles Coast Guard vessel Topaz, with direction from EUNAVFOR maritime patrol aircraft, intercepted a hijacked fishing boat carrying 27 kidnapped sailors and 9 pirates.

According to EUNAVFOR, the crew of the Topaz used disabling gunfire and struck the pirated vessel below the waterline. It began to sink and everyone - pirates and hostages - jumped overboard and were rescued by the Topaz. The pirates are in the custody of the Seychelles Coast Guard at this time.

Three armed private security guards aboard a Spanish fishing trawler repelled a pirate attack in the Indian Ocean today (3/4).

The Albacan was approximately halfway between Kenya and the Seychelles when pirates approached and fired a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG). The RPG struck the fishing boat, but the crew was able to extinguish the fire. The guards then returned fire and the would-be hijackers fled.

Last November in order to combat rampant piracy off the Horn of Africa and in the Indian Ocean the Spanish government passed a law allowing Spanish-flagged ships to put armed guards on their vessels when outside Spain's territorial waters.

Last week it was revealed that the United States has deployed unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to the Seychelles in order to conduct anti-piracy surveillance operations in the waters off East Africa. As soon as this news came out there were reports speculating (here, here) that sooner or later the U.S. would arm these drones. At least for now, this not part of the plan, and The EastAfrican reports it has confirmed this via an email with the U.S. military's AFRICOM.

Last week it was revealed that the United States has deployed unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to the Seychelles in order to conduct anti-piracy surveillance operations in the waters off East Africa. As soon as this news came out there were reports speculating (here, here) that sooner or later the U.S. would arm these drones. At least for now, this not part of the plan, and The EastAfrican reports it has confirmed this via an email with the U.S. military's AFRICOM.

Last week it was revealed that the United States has deployed unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to the Seychelles in order to conduct anti-piracy surveillance operations in the waters off East Africa. As soon as this news came out there were reports speculating (here, here) that sooner or later the U.S. would arm these drones. At least for now, this not part of the plan, and The EastAfrican reports it has confirmed this via an email with the U.S. military's AFRICOM.