Nairobi, Nov 18 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Somali pirates have attacked the Maersk Alabama on Wednesday for the second time in less than a year. However it is learnt that the private guards, which were present on the U.S. -flagged ship, repelled the attack with gunfire and a loud screeching device.

“We have attacked a ship with an American flag — we tried to throw our ladders for climbing (but) it sped and (has) gone away,” said Abdullahi Nor, who identified himself as a pirate spokesman.

“It narrowly escaped and opened fire on us,” Mr. Nor said. “One of our colleagues was injured in the attack,” he said. Mr. Nor said he had spoken to the would-be hijackers by satellite phone.

There has been an immense spurt in pirate attacks off the east coast of Africa, so the shipping industry has been left with no alternative but to employ new defensive techniques for their safety. The safety measures include using water hoses to knock down pirates from their ladders, edging a ship’s railings with sharp barbed wire and taking evasive maneuvers when under attack.

Till now the shipping industry is hardly using arms for their safety. “The industry does not currently encourage or advocate the carriage of any form of arms onboard the vessels,” said Cyrus Mody, the manager of the International Maritime Bureau.

Kevin Speers, a spokesman for Maersk Line Ltd., said that the company revised its security plan for the Maersk Alabama to include armed security after pirates attacked the ship in April.

“Armed security is not the preferred route,” Mr. Speers said, but added that the company had decided to hire the guards because the Alabama regularly sails in the high-risk waters to deliver food aid. He said that the U.S. Coast Guard had approved the move. “It’s something they encourage,” he said.