RTTNews
by RTT Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Somali pirates have hijacked a Saudi oil tanker with 14 crew on board, reports quoting the European Union Naval Force and a Kenyan maritime official said on Wednesday.
According to Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers' Assistance Program, the 5,136-ton vessel al Nisr al Saudi was seized on Monday in the Gulf of Aden while sailing from Japan to Jeddah.
The tanker's captain is a Greek and rest of the crew are Sri Lankans, he added.
Cmdr. John Harbour, a spokesman for the EU NAVFOR, said Wednesday the Saudi-owned ship was empty when it came under attack. He says the ship has been taken to Garacad, a well-known pirate stronghold, where the crew is safe.
Vessels are being seized frequently in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean off the African coast despite the strong presence of international naval forces in the region, including from the NATO and the European Union, to protect one of the world's busiest shipping routes.
The pirates step up their venture during March-May when the seas are calmer.
Pirates are currently holding at least eight ships and more than 100 crew, demanding multimillion-dollar ransoms for their release. Most of the gangs are based in northern Somalia's Puntland region.