Somali pirates hijack UAE ship

Somali pirates hijacked a cargo vessel from the United Arab Emirates on Monday after firing small arms and rocket-propelled grenades at the ship, Europe's anti-piracy mission said.

The Orna was seized in the Indian Ocean around 400 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles archipelago, the European Union naval force said.

"The attack was launched from two attack skiffs, with pirates firing small arms and rocket-propelled grenades at the merchant vessel," the EUNavfor mission said in a statement.

At least four pirates boarded the ship after stopping it, the statement said, adding that the crew was cooperating with the assailants and no damage was reported.

The Panama-flagged bulk carrier has a dead weight of 27,915 tonnes. The number of sailors on board was unknown, the statement said.

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