Somali pirates hijack Antigua and Barbuda-flagged vessel off Omani coast

Somali pirates hijack Antigua and Barbuda-flagged vessel off Omani coast

2011-04-08 18:57:35 GMT+7 (ICT)

SALALAH, OMAN (BNO NEWS) -- An Antigua and Barbuda-flagged vessel with ten crew members was hijacked early Friday morning by Somali pirates off the Omani coastline, officials said.

At least 10 Somali pirates boarded the German-owned MV Susan K approximately 200 nautical miles (230 miles) northeast of Salalah, Oman, around 35 nautical miles (40 miles) from the Omani coastline, the European Union (EU) Naval Force Somalia (NAVFOR) said.

The vessel was on its way to Port Sudan, Sudan from Mumbai, India when it was pirated, but the EU NAVFOR said exact details of the incident was still unknown. The MV Susan K has a crew of 10 people, four Ukraine and six Filipino, but no further information was available regarding the crew.

In recent years, Somali pirates have hijacked hundreds of ships, taking in hundreds of millions of dollars in ransom. Ships are patrolling the shipping lanes near Somalia in an effort to reduce hijackings, but the anti-piracy force has warned that attacks are likely to continue.

According to a recent study, maritime piracy cost the global economy up to $12 billion last year, with Somalia-based pirates responsible for 95 percent of the costs.

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