Somali pirates capture German tanker, 22 crew

Suspected Somali pirates on Saturday hijacked a German-owned chemical tanker and 22 crew firing heavy artillery during a dramatic boarding, according to a European naval force.

The crew of the Marida Marguerite – comprising 19 Indians, two Bangladeshis and a Ukrainian – were nevertheless said to be "well" by the anti-piracy naval task force, citing radio contact.

"The ship was approached by a pirate skiff firing automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades and the crew reported they saw the pirates climbing onboard," said a statement from EU-Navfor headquarters.

"It is believed all [on board] are well," it said. "A passing merchant ship tried to make contact by VHF radio but received a response from the bridge of the hijacked vessel to 'go away'."

The 13,000-tonne Marida Marguerite, sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands, was captured 120 nautical miles south of Salalah, in Oman, the EU mission said.

In a separate incident, Somali pirates captured a Taiwanese fishing boat off the Indian Ocean archipelago of the Seychelles, a maritime observer said. It had a crew of 26 including nine Chinese and an unspecified number of Kenyans, Mozambicans and Taiwanese.

Taiwan's foreign ministry said contact was made on Friday with the pirates who made an unspecified ransom demand. That hijacking took to at least 25 the number of ships now held by ransom-seeking pirates.

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