Somali Pirates Take Another Ship

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov. 18, 2008— -- As the Sirius Star, the hijacked Saudi supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of oil, sits captive off the coast of Somalia, U.S. officials and piracy experts warn that its capture marks a turning point in Somali piracy that is escalating out of control.

To drive the point home, hijackers swarmed onto an Iranian cargo ship today, making it the seventh vessel hijacked off the Somalia coast in the last 12 days.

While November has a been banner month for Somali pirates, they have been busy all year. The International Maritime Bureau counts 93 ships attacked this year and 37 of them captured successfully.

At least 14 ships are currently being held hostage by pirates, including the Ukranian ship MV Faina that was loaded with Russian tanks, rocket propelled grenades and tons of ammunition when it was seized by Somali pirates in September.

The MV Faini and the Sirius Star are now anchored near each other in well-known pirate enclaves along the Somali coast while ransom negotiations proceed.

But the hijacking of the Sirius Star was shocking because of its size, and the scope of the operation.

The vessel is the largest ship ever hijacked, roughly the size of a U.S. aircraft carrier, and its booty of oil is worth an estimated $100 million.

Even more alarming is where the attack occurred -- 450 nautical miles off the East African coast and 200 miles farther south than any of the earlier hijackings. That has led experts to believe that the pirates have extended their reach by working from larger "mother ships."

"It's a game changer," a senior U.S. defense official told ABC News.