Pirates Seize Bulk Carrier, 23 Crew
VoA News: Somali pirates are believed to have hijacked another ship, this one a bulk carrier with 23 crew members.
The European Union's anti-piracy force says the Maltese-owned MV Sinin was apparently seized on Saturday, east of Oman in the North Arabian Sea.
The task force says the ship sent out a distress signal, saying it was under attack.
The task force says an aircraft from the U.S.-led Combined Maritime Forces later photographed two suspected pirate boats on board the bulk carrier. The ship, which was heading from the United Arab Emirates to Singapore, has now changed direction toward the Somali coast.
The EU force says the ship's crew includes 13 Iranians and 10 Indian nationals.
This is the third ship hijacked by Somali pirates in the last week, following two oil tankers last Tuesday and Wednesday.
One of those tankers, the Irene SL, is carrying crude oil worth about $200 million.
Somali pirates have made hundreds of millions of dollars hijacking ships for ransom over the past few years. The pirates are currently holding at least 30 vessels with about 700 hostages.
Stumble It!
