Greek ship with 20 crew members hijacked near Somalia

Kuala Lumpur: Pirates hijacked a Greek tanker with 20 crew members in the Gulf of Aden near Somalia, a maritime official said on Saturday.

The Greek ship was travelling from Southeast Aasia to Europe when it was hijacked on Friday, said Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau reporting centre in Malaysia.

No further details were immediately available, he said.

A total of 27 ships have been hijacked, and 11 remain in the hands of pirates along with more than 200 crew members, Choong said.