[TIMELINE] Piracy in the Gulf of Aden

Somali pirates are causing havoc in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, which connects Europe to Asia and the Middle East via the Suez Canal.

Piracy off the Horn of Africa has been a problem for years, but daily attacks are now forcing shippers to seek alternative routes.

Below is a timeline of some of the major piracy events off the coast of Somalia during the past three years.

April

* Apr. 13: Somali insurgents fire mortar shells at U.S. Congressman Donald Payne at Mogadishu airport as an act of revenge for pirates deaths.

* Apr. 12: Captain Phillips is freed as U.S. snipers kill 3 pirates. Last pirate is taken into custody.

* Apr. 10: Captain Richard Phillips of the Maersk Alabama gives himself up to free his crew. Pirates demand $2 million for his release.

* Apr. 8: Four Somali pirates seize the U.S. flagged Maersk Alabama cargo ship off the coast of Somalia.

February

* Feb. 12: A multinational naval force seizes nine suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday after receiving a distress call from an Indian merchant vessel.

* Feb. 5: Somali pirates free a Ukrainian ship they had held since September with battle tanks and other weaponry on board after receiving a ransom of more than $3 million.

January

* Jan. 29: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, the Maldives, the Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania and Yemen sign a deal enhancing cooperation in the fight against piracy in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.

2008 December

* Dec. 2: The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution in support of an EU naval mission to begin Dec. 8 aimed at ending increased piracy off the coast of Somalia.

November

* Nov. 25: Somali pirates hijack Yemeni cargo ship MV Amani in the Gulf of Aden

* Nov. 18: Iranian-operated, Hong Kong- flagged grain ship MV Delight is hijacked in the Gulf of Aden off the Yemeni coast

* Nov. 15: Pirates hijack Saudi-operated, Liberian-flagged oil tanker Sirius Star that is carrying a cargo worth $100 million. The Pirates demand a $25 million and set a 10-day deadline.

* Nov. 15: Japanese-owned, Panamanian-flagged chemical carrier MV Chemstar Venus is seized in the Gulf of Aden

* Nov. 12: Turkish chemical tanker MV Karagöl is hijacked off the coast of Yemen

* Nov. 10: Panamanian-operated, Philippines-flagged chemical tanker MV Stolt Strength is hijacked in the Gulf of Aden.

September

* Sept. 25: Pirates seize Ukrainian-operated, Belize-flagged cargo ship MV Faina, heading to Kenya.

August

* August 19: Malaysian palm oil tanker MV Bunga Melati Dua is hijacked in the Gulf of Aden between Somalia and Yemen. The tanker was released Sep. 29 after a $2 million ransom was paid.

* August 12: Thai cargo ship MV Thor Star, delivering plywood to Aden, is captured in the Gulf of Aden. It was released nearly two months later on Oct 13.

July

* July 20: Japanese-owned, Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier MV Stella Maris is captured near the Somali region of Alula. the carries is released Sep. 26 after a $2 million ransom was paid.

May

* May 28: German cargo ship MV Lehmann Timber is captured in the Gulf of Aden. Released July 8 after a $ 750,000 ransom was delivered to pirates near the Puntland town of Eyl.

* May 24: Dutch-owned, Antigua and Barbuda flagged MV Amiya Scan is hijacked in the Gulf of Aden. Released June 24.

* May 17: U.A.E. owned, Jordanian-flagged MV Victoria is hijacked 56 kilometers off the Somali coast. It was released on May 23 on unknown conditions.

April

* April 21: U.A.E. cargo ship MV Al-Khaleej was seized off the coast of the Somali city of Bosaso. It was rescued April 22 by Puntland security forces. Seven pirates and four collaborators were later sentenced to life in prison.

* Apr. 20: Spanish fishing ship MY Le Ponant is hijacked 400 kilometers off the Somali coast and released six days later. The Spanish government denied paying an alleged ransom of $1.2 million.

* April 11: In a daring helicopter raid, French marine commandos free the 30 crew of the luxury yacht Le Ponant a week after it was seized by pirates described as local Somali fishermen.

2007

* Feb.1: Danish-owned, Russian-flagged tug boat MV Svitzer Korsakov is captured. It was released March 18, after a $700,000 ransom was paid.

* June 1: Danish cargo ship MV Danica White, carrying construction materials from Dubai to Mombasa, is hijacked off the central east coast of Somalia. The ship was released Aug. 23 after a $1.5 million ransom was paid.

* Oct. 28: Japanese-owned, Panamanian-flagged chemical tanker MV Golden Nori is captured off the Somali coast. The tanker was released Dec. 12 after $1 million ransom was paid.

* Oct. 29: North Korean cargo vessel MV Dai Hong Dan was hijacked. The crew managed to regain control of the vessel and it was freed Oct. 30.

2006

* Jan. 16: Indian ship MV Safina al-Birsarat is hijacked. It was released Jan. 22 after pirates surrendered to Somali authorities.

* Nov. 6: Pirates seize the UAE-flagged MV Veesham I and demand a $150,000 ransom for the release of 14 crew members.

* Nov. 8: Somali Islamist fighters with speed boats forcibly free the hostages of the MV Veesham I and capture the pirates.

2005

* March 8 : The yachts Mahdi and Gandalf are attacked by two pirate speedboats off the coast of Yemen; yacht captains resisted successfully, destroying one pirate speedboat and shooting two pirates.

* April 10: Hong Kong petroleum gas tanker MV Feisty Gas is captured and released after a $315,000 ransom was paid to representative of the pirates in the Kenyan city of Mombasa.

* June 27: MV Semlow, carrying U.N. food supplies for tsunami victims, was seized by pirates en route from Mombasa, Kenya to Bosasso, Somalia. The ship was held for 100 days.

* Oct. 8: MV Torgelow, carrying tea as well as fuel for the recently freed Semlow, was captured by pirates near El-Maan, Somalia and held for 53 days.

* Oct. 12: MV Miltzow carrying U.N. food aid was captured by pirates in Merka, Somalia and held for two days.

* Nov. 5: The luxury liner The Seabourn Spirit is attacked by pirates, armed with grenade launchers and automatic weapons, off the coast of Somalia. Although one crew member is wounded in the attack, the ship manages to escape the pirates' smaller boat.