Somali pirates have hijacked an oil tanker off the northeastern coast of Somalia, Dalsan radio reported, citing local authorities and the British Merchant Marine Office (UKMTO).
According to them, the ship was hijacked on Wednesday in the Puntland region while it was en route to the Somali capital Mogadishu from the port of Berbera. The UKMTO said unknown attackers boarded the tanker and took control.
According to Dalsan, the tanker belongs to a Pakistani businessman and was carrying fuel. The exact number of crew members on board and their nationalities are unknown, and an investigation into the incident has been launched.
No group has publicly claimed responsibility for the hijacking.
In late April, the UKMTO reported that unknown assailants had hijacked a cargo ship 11 kilometers off the coast of Somalia. It was subsequently diverted into territorial waters near the town of Garakad.
In early May, unidentified gunmen hijacked the oil tanker M/T EUREKA off the coast of Yemen and diverted it into the Gulf of Aden, heading towards the Somali coast. The next day, the captain of a cargo ship sailing near the coast of Iran reported an attack by several small vessels.
According to CNN, Somali piracy is on the rise again as the war in Iran forces merchant ships avoiding the conflict zone to take longer routes around Africa.