(SomaliNet) The head of a local seafarer's association said on Monday that Somali pirates have seized a cargo ship off the east African coast. Andrew Mwangura, the program co-ordinator of the East Africa Seafarers Assistance Programme said gunmen attacked the vessel on Wednesday, but due to chaotic communications with war-ravaged Somalia the incident had taken several days to confirm. However, Mwangura, did not have details on the number or nationality of the crew members aboard the Almarjan, a cargo ship of over 2 500 tons that was flying under a flag from the Comoros Islands and operated by Dubai-based Biyat International.
| The Comoran Navy will be along any moment to rescue the ship and kill the pirates ... |
Meanwhile, Somalia has suffered 26 reported hijackings this year, up from only eight a year earlier, according to a report released last week by the International Maritime Bureau. Some hijackings have turned deadly - pirates killed a crew member a month after seizing a Taiwan-flagged fishing vessel in May off the north-eastern coast of Somalia.