Gunmen capture two ships in Somali waters

NAIROBI, May 16 (Reuters) Gunmen attacked three ships off the Somali coast, seizing two and taking scores of Asian crew members hostage in the latest raid off one of the world's most dangerous coastlines, a Kenyan official said today.

Andrew Mwangura, director of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme, said the vessels were attacked 370 km (230 miles) off the coast of Somalia yesterday afternoon.

He said the Mavuno 1 and Mavuno 2, which left Kenya five days ago, were hijacked on their way to Yemen.

He told Reuters the vessels were registered in Tanzania, and owned by Koreans in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa.

''Reaching the high seas, a group of about 12 gunmen hijacked the two fishing vessels,'' Mwangura said.

''Currently they are under captivity, but we don't know their exact position. Crew members on board are about 30 and are composed of Koreans, Chinese, Vietnamese and Indians.'' Mwangura said he had received information the third ship, a cargo ship called Ibn Younus which escaped, was headed to the United Arab Emirates.

Piracy has been rife off Somalia since the country slid into into chaos after warlords toppled military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. Many pirates claim to be ''coastguards'' protecting their waters against illegal fishing and dumping of toxic waste.

The attacks have been on the rise since Islamists, who controlled most of south Somalia in the second half of 2006, were ousted in January.

REUTERS ABM ND1536