Somali gunmen have hijacked a Dutch-owned ship in the latest act of piracy off the Horn of Africa.
The ship's owner - Reider Shipping - says the MC Amyia Scan was seized late Monday in the Gulf of Aden, while traveling from Kenya to Romania.
The ship's nine-member crew includes five Filipinos and four Russians. There has been no information about ransom demands or the condition of the crew.
The ship is carrying a decommissioned oil-drilling rig.
On Friday, Somali pirates released a Jordanian-flagged ship and its crew after holding them hostage for six days. It is not clear whether a ransom was paid for that ship's release.
Pirate attacks are common in the unregulated waters off Somalia's coast. The country lacks a strong central government, allowing pirates to operate almost freely.
The U.S. Navy has led international patrols along the coast in an effort to end the pirate attacks.
The United States and France recently put forth a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would give countries the legal right to pursue pirates and armed robbers in Somali waters.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
