Nairobi, Kenya : Private security guards shot and killed a Somali pirate during an attack on a merchant ship owned by the UAE, off the coast of East Africa.
It is believed to be the first such killing by armed contractors, the EU Naval Force spokesman said on Wednesday.
The death comes amid fears that increasingly aggressive pirates and the growing use of armed private security contractors onboard vessels could fuel increased violence on the high seas. The handling of the case may have legal implications beyond the individuals involved in Tuesday's shooting.
"This will be scrutinised very closely," said Arvinder Sambei, a legal consultant for the UN's anti-piracy programme.
"There's always been concern about these [private security] companies. Who are they responsible to?"
The guards were onboard the MV Almezaan when a pirate group approached it twice, said EU Naval Force spokesman Commodore John Harbour.
Exchange of fire
During the second approach on the Panamanian-flagged cargo ship, there was an exchange of fire between the guards and the pirates.
An EU Naval Force frigate was dispatched to the scene and launched a helicopter that located the pirates. Seven pirates were found, including one who had died from small calibre gunshot wounds, indicating he had been shot by the contractors, said Harbour.
A statement by the Spanish Ministry of Defence said the warship Navarra had intercepted two skiffs and a larger vessel believed to be a pirate mothership.
Spanish forces arrested the six remaining pirates, took custody of the pirate's body and sunk the larger boat, it said.
The two smaller skiffs had many bullet holes in them, the statement said. Spain was trying to reach the Somali government to hand over the body and get the cargo ship's crew to identify the detained suspects as their attackers.
The Almezaan is registered in Panama but owned by Dubai-based Biyat International.
