Photo: Modern Pirates Terrorize Seas With Guns and Grenades

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A Somalian gunman with a Russian-made long-range machine gun guards a vessel from pirates near the port town of Merca, 65 miles (100 kilometers) south of Muqdisho (Mogadishu), on October 26, 2005. The vessel was carrying food aid to the southern part of Somalia.

Pirate attacks off the East African country have been on the rise as more criminals take advantage of the lack of a functioning government.

Photograph by Ali Musa/AFP/Getty Images

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