UK Cargo Ship Captured by Somali Pirates

The crew members are all Ukrainian, but ship-owner Seven Seas Maritime Ltd. has not given their exact number. Photo by BGNES

A UK-owned ship has been hijacked Saturday by Somali pirates 463km south-west of the Seychelles, the Maritime Security Center reported.

The crew of the Maltese-flagged Ariana were believed unharmed in the dawn attack, BBC said. The crew members are all Ukrainian, but ship-owner Seven Seas Maritime Ltd. has not given their exact number.

The agency added that the vessel was carrying 35 000 tons of soya.

The attack came hours after a Portuguese warship thwarted an attack on a Norwegian vessel in the Gulf of Aden. The warship, part of a Nato patrol, destroyed explosives they discovered when they captured the pirates.