Somali pirates attack again

Somali pirates have hijacked a fourth vessel in 48 hours, seizing a Lebanese-owned cargo ship.



NATO officials say gunmen took the MV Sea Horse, a 5,000 tonne ship.



Earlier, pirates hijacked a Greek-owned bulk carrier, the MV Irene, in the Gulf of Aden a day after Somali raiders captured two Egyptian fishing boats.



Analysts say the gangs are clearly not hindered by the recent US and French hostage rescues that left three pirates dead.



Somali pirate leaders, who have generally treated captives well in the hope of winning big ransom payouts, vowed yesterday to avenge the deaths.



Officials say another ship, the Liberian-flagged Safmarine Asia, escaped earlier today after coming under fire from pirates in several small boats.