share: digg facebook twitter KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Sea piracy worldwide hit a record high of 142 attacks in the first quarter this year as Somali pirates become more violent and aggressive, a global maritime watchdog said Thursday. Nearly 70 percent or 97 of the attacks occurred off the coast of Somalia, up sharply from 35 in the same period last year, the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur said in a statement. Attackers seized 18 vessels worldwide, including three big tankers, in the January-March period and captured 344 crew members, it said.