Manila: A Greek-owned ship with an all-Filipino crew was seized Tuesday by Somali pirates near Socotra Island in the Gulf of Aden, a report reaching the Philippines said.
The Liberia-flagged bulk carrer "MV Free Goddess" was sailing to Egypt from Singapore with its cargo of steel cables some 19,475 metric tonnes of steel cable when a group of pirates boarded and commandeered the vessel.
According to the anti-sea piracy website, maritimesecurity.asia, the 22,051 dwt ship is manned by 21 Filipino seafarers and it remains unclear whether any of the crew had been hurt when the vessel was seized by the outlaws.
A separate report by the Somalia-based Somali Report website, said the ship was seized some 110 nautical miles from Socotra Island by a group of pirates reportedly led by Abdhulkadir Mohamed Afwenye.
Afwenye, however, in an interview with Somalia Report, denied seizing the ship.
"I don't know where this rumour came from originally, but I can tell you that my colleagues in Hararadhere are innocent of the allegations. We are unsure who hijacked that ship. I think some pirates who are based in Garcad might have seized it," Afwenye was quoted as saying in the report.
Based on information provided by maritimesecurity.asia, the MV Free Godess was monitored to have drastically altered its course when it was seized by the pirates. The ship was originally sailing for Adabiya, Egypt.
"The vessel is not responding to any calls. The last known positional data on the Free Goddess is that she has dramatically altered course and her last recorded position was 11.59N 056.09E at 090533ZFEB12, approximately 110nm south east of Socotra Island," it said.
The vessel was last reported to be heading towards the Somali coast.
The latest piracy attack and capture of crewmembers bring to a total 47 the number of Filipino seafarers in the hands of Somali pirates. The 47 Filipinos serve aboard three vessels seized by the outlaws.
