Pirates hijack container ship in Indian Ocean (Roundup)

Oct 15, 2009, 14:32 GMT

   Brussels/London - A Singapore-flagged cargo ship has been hijacked in the Indian Ocean, the European Union Naval Force said Thursday.

   'During the early morning of October 15, 2009, a Singapore-flagged container ship, Kota Wajar, was hijacked in the Indian Ocean by pirates, some 300 nautical miles north of the Seychelles,' EU NAVOR said in a statement issued by its headquarters in Northwood, Britain.

The Pacific International Lines vessel was en route to Mombasa.

   The EU's anti-piracy mission has sent an aircraft to investigate. The number of crew on board the vessel is still unclear.

The attack took place in unguarded waters south of a marine security corridor in the Gulf of Aden that has been set up by NATO the EU and other partners.

   Only two days ago, EU NAVFOR said it had identified but later released suspect pirates operating near the Seychelles Islands.

   According to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), 294 piracy-related incidents were reported in the first three quarters of 2009, surpassing the total number reported in 2008.

   Of these 294 attacks, 97 took place in Somalia's Gulf of Aden and a further 47 off the rest of the Somali coast, an IMB report published in late September said.