Somali pirates have hijacked a Malaysian-flagged container ship in the Indian Ocean.
Multiple sources said Tuesday that pirates seized the MV Albedo west of the Maldives islands on Friday. The ship was en route from the United Arab Emirates to Kenya.
The European Union's anti-piracy force says the Albedo has a crew of 23 from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Iran.
Somali pirates are now reported to be holding at least 22 vessels with more than 500 hostages.
Pirates have continued to hijack ships despite naval patrols by the European Union, NATO, and countries such as Russia and China.
