Nairobi: Four suspected Somali pirates carrying AK-47s and a rocket-propelled grenade have seized a bulk carrier with 21 crew on board, the fourth ship pirates have seized in less than a week.
Cmdr. John Harbour, a spokesman for the EU Naval Force, said the Panamanian-flagged, Liberian-owned Voc Daisy was taken about 200 miles (300 kilometres) outside the corridor where international warships guard convoys of merchant vessels.
The hijacking of the Voc Daisy follows an attack on three Thai fishing vessels Sunday.
According to an Associated Press count, Pirates now hold 15 vessels and 326 crew.
The Voc Daisy, which had been heading from the UAE toward the Suez Canal, was registered with security officials and raised an alarm before the armed pirates stormed aboard.
