The European Union Maritime Security Center in the Indian Ocean and security sources in the Puntland region have announced that armed pirates have hijacked an Iranian fishing vessel in waters near the northeastern coast of Somalia.
According to reports, the ship was carrying 21 Iranian fishermen and two Somali guards and was hijacked by eight armed men near the port of Beila.
A security official said that the pirates outnumbered the guards and the attackers were able to overpower them.
The European Union Maritime Safety Centre said that information on the condition and safety of the crew was not available at the time of publication of the report.
AFP reports that pirate activity in Somalia has increased again, with at least 15 attacks recorded in the region since April.
