Pirates attack Japanese tanker, Spanish boat in Gulf of Aden

MADRID, Spain -- Pirates in the lawless Gulf of Aden fired on a Japanese oil tanker Monday, unleashing hundreds of gallons of fuel into the sea, a day after a Spanish tuna boat was hijacked using rocket-propelled grenades.

The attacks highlight an alarming increase in piracy by well-armed bandits, prompting international demands for better protection of the world's shipping lanes.

France plans to present a proposal at the United Nations that would create an international "right of pursuit" allowing countries to chase pirates when they try to flee into territorial waters, the French Foreign Ministry said.

The proposal, which comes after a French luxury yacht was hijacked this month, would also urge stronger maritime patrols in high-risk areas.

In the latest incidents, the suspected pirate ship fired on the Japanese tanker in the Gulf of Aden, ripping a one-inch hole in the ship that caused the fuel to leak, officials said. The attack help send crude oil prices to a record high, spiking above $117 a barrel Monday before falling back slightly.

The 150,000-ton tanker was attacked 170 miles off the coast of Yemen while it was heading to Saudi Arabia. No one was injured, its Japanese operator Nippon Yusen K.K. said.

In a separate attack Sunday in the Gulf of Aden, pirates approached the Spanish Playa de Bakio and opened fire with rocket-propelled grenades, striking it but causing no serious damage, said an official in Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's office.

Spain sent a frigate to the site of the hijacking about 200 miles off the coast of Somalia. Twenty-six crew were aboard the 250-foot vessel when the pirates forced their way on the ship.

Cadena Ser, a Spanish radio station, said it managed to get through to the fishing boat and hold a short, frantic conversation with one sailor. In 12 seconds, the sailor asked four times that the broadcaster not call back.

"Please do not call back. They are watching us," the crewman said, according to Cadena Ser.

The Spanish prime minister's office said efforts were underway to secure the sailors' release, and that aid was being sought from NATO, the African Union, France and Britain.

Spain does not have an embassy in Somalia, which has not had an effective government since 1991.

The hijackers are demanding money but have not specified how much, Rosa Maria Alvarez, the daughter of the ship's skipper, Amadeo Alvarez Gomez, told Spanish National Radio. The government declined to comment on her remarks.

According to a report from the International Maritime Bureau, piracy is on the rise, with seafarers suffering 49 attacks between January and March -- up 20 percent from the period last year.

Pirates boarded 36 vessels and hijacked one, the report said. Seven crew members were taken hostage, six were kidnapped, three were killed and one went missing. Most of the attackers were heavily armed with guns or knives, the report said.

Nigeria ranked as the No. 1 trouble spot. India and the Gulf of Aden tied for second, with each reporting five incidents. Those in India were low-key attacks aimed at theft, while the Gulf of Aden was prone to hijackings, the bureau said.

Nearly two dozen piracy incidents were recorded off the coast of Somalia since January 2007, according to Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya-based Seafarers Assistance Program.