14 Iranian Sailors Kidnapped off Somali Coast

IRIB, Iranian state television, is reporting 14 crew members from an Iranian fishing vessel have been kidnapped by the Islamist group al-Shabab off the coast of Somalia. The station said the incident happened on Wednesday without elaborating.

It was not clear why the Iranians were fishing off the coast of Somalia. IRIB did not give a more exact location, but Somalia’s coast stretches from the Gulf of Aden bordering Djibouti, across from Yemen. An Iranian deployed naval group, which includes a frigate, is near Gulf of Aden. It was not known if the naval group deployed to prevent piracy was searching for the kidnapped Iranians. 

Al-Shabab is a Somalia-based extremist group with ties with al-Qaeda.

Israeli Attack on Sudanese Missile Plan a “Dry Run” for Iran Attack - Mehr

Iran’s Mehr News Agency, citing the Sunday Times, said Israeli attack on the Sudanese missile factory on Wednesday was a ‘dry run’ for an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. A squadron of eight Israeli F-15 jets dropped four one-ton bombs on Yarmouk missile factory on the outskirts of Sudan's capital Khartoum.     

“A long-range Israeli bombing raid last week that was seen as a dry run for a forthcoming attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities has destroyed an Iranian-run plant making rockets and ballistic missiles in Sudan,” Sunday Times reported today. The Yamrouk facility reportedly produced Shahab missiles.

The attack occurred in the early morning of 24 October. Four of the F-15Is carried two one-ton bombs, escorted by four others – struck a gigantic Yamrouk missile site. The 2,400-mile return flight took the Israelis four hours, with the jets flying south along the Red Sea. The planes entered the Sudanese air space from the east to avoid Egypt’s missile defenses.

The F-15Is were refueled during the operations. Other Israeli aircraft equipped with anti-radar electronics dismantled the Sudanese early warning and air defense systems.

  

Photo credit: What is left of the Sudanese factory after the Israeli attack. (Satellite Sentinel Project/Mehr News Agency, 28 October 2012)

Iran's famine relief effort for Somalia

click photo to enlarge

An IranAir Cargo Boeing 747-21AC/SCD (EP-ICD) takes on part of a 50 ton shipment bound for Somalia, at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran. The shipment is being donated by the Iranian Red Crescent Society as part of Iran's plan to donate USD $25 million to the famine-stricken people of Somalia.

Photo: Naser Azimi at Fars News Agency

Iranian Oil Tanker Escapes Pirate Attack

An Iranian oil tanker “Haraaz” carrying two million barrels of oil has successfully managed to escape attacks by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden. It came under attack on Monday at 22:45 p.m. local time (1905 GMT). The vessel got away reportedly unscathed after a series of chase and escape attempts, which lasted for nearly two hours. There were no reported casualties or injuries on board the Iranian ship.