The Malaysian Navy says it has detained seven Somali pirates who were attempting to hijack a chemical tanker in the Gulf of Aden.
The navy says 23 crewmembers of the MT Bunga Laurel were freed Friday after armed pirates tried to take over the ship. Three pirates were wounded in a gun battle. There are no reports of casualties among crewmembers.
Also on Friday, South Korean military commandos freed 21 crewmembers from a hijacked freighter in the Arabian Sea. Eight Somali pirates were killed during the confrontation.
Somalia pirates have made millions of dollars hijacking ships in recent years. The European Union, which has an anti-piracy force, says pirates are holding at least 25 ships with more than 600 hostages.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
