From Aljazeera

Kenyan court in the coastal city of Mombasa sentenced nine Somalis to five years in prison each for attempting to hijack the German merchant vessel MV Courier in the Gulf of Aden in March 2009.

The men were arrested by international anti-piracy forces before being handed over to Kenya to be prosecuted, as Somalia was not considered able to try them properly.

Although the number of attacks has fallen markedly since 2011 thanks to tougher security aboard ships and increased Western naval patrols, piracy emanating from the Horn of Africa nation may still cost the world economy about $18bn a year, the World Bank said in April.

Prosecutors told the court on Tuesday the men attacked the ship armed with a rocket launcher, an AK-47 rifle, a pistol, a SAR80 carbine rifle, and other weapons.

Read more at aljazeera.com