The 4,600 tonne MV Hereford Express, crewed by 22 Filipinos, was heading from a Philippines island to Broome to pick up cattle when it was fired on south of Mindanao Island last Saturday morning.
Lieutenant Armando Balilo, of the Philippines Coastguard, said the attack by pirates in four speedboats lasted two hours but no one on board was injured.
"The vessel did not stop and tried to manoeuvre to escape the attack by changing course to the north-west, away from the island," Lt Balilo told AAP.
He said the vessel returned to port at Mindanao's General Santos City to formally report the attack and for repairs to its bridge, which was badly damaged by the shellfire.
Lt Balilo said he understood the attack was the first by pirates in that area and the first such assault on a livestock transport ship.
The MV Hereford Express had left General Santos City for Broome on Friday evening and was attacked at 7.45am (local time) on Saturday, about 70 nautical miles south of Balut Island.
"Attacks usually happen in the Malacca Strait, I have not heard of it happening in that particular area before," Lt Balilo said.
Broome Port Authority chief executive officer Vic Justice said he got a call from the Philippine Coast Guard shortly after the incident was reported, saying the ship had been attacked and would not be arriving as scheduled later this week.
He said the MV Hereford was one of three livestock transport vessels involved in trade between The Philippines and Broome, Wyndham and Darwin.
Pirate attacks occurred up to three times a week in the Malacca Strait between Indonesia and Singapore, he said, but he had not heard of a cattle ship being attacked before.
"What this will do is serve as a warning to ships to show extra vigilance when they're going through these stretches of water," Mr Justice told AAP.
"It's also a warning to a lot of people who go off on cruising yachts through the Indonesian archipelago that they must be wary of attack.
"Every week there are two to three incidents ranging from being suspicious to acts of piracy.
"It appears the crew aboard the MV Hereford were very lucky.
"If it was the same captain and crew who usually come here, they are lovely people and we enjoy having them here in the port of Broome.
"We were very pleased that none of our friends were injured."
ninemsn 11 Jun 2008.
So why do not the purveyors of goodness and enforcers of Global Righteousness, send their entire fleet to this terror hotspot on the planet and rid the innocent people of this vermin?
Forgot there is no Oil there !!!
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