Combating piracy: a coalition fights back

Pirates off the coast of Somalia continue to operate despite the presence of more than a dozen warships patrolling the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest sea lanes.

On Thursday, a German military helicopter chased away pirates attempting to board an Egyptian ship off the coast of Somalia. The bulk carrier was passing through the Gulf of Aden bound for Asia when armed pirates on speedboats began pursuing it.

A passing ship alerted the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur. One of 31 crew members on the Egyptian ship was shot. The pirates fled as the helicopter reached the vessel. A second helicopter picked up the injured crewman and flew him to Karlsruhe, Germany, where he received treatment.

The vessel, the Wadi al-Arab, then continued to South Korea, where it was delivering a load of wheat from Ukraine.

There have been 110 pirate attacks this year in the Gulf of Aden, including 42 hijackings. Pirates have released most of the vessels after a ransom was paid, but 14, with a total of 240 crew, are still being detained.

The poverty and lawlessness of Somalia have spurred growing piracy off the country's coast. Somali pirates have netted an estimated $30 million hijacking ships for ransom this year.

In response, the United States, Britain, India, Iran, France and Germany have sent naval forces to patrol the waters near Somalia.

International cooperation is needed to combat the menace. But the coalition cannot be everywhere at once.