Somali pirates seize cargo ship, sailors held captive

Seoul: Somali pirates have seized a South Korean cargo ship off the coast of the east African country and are holding a number of sailors captive, South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted a foreign ministry official as saying on Wednesday.

Nine South Korean sailors were among those being held but no information was available on the total number of people on board the cargo ship or their safety, it said.

The ship was captured at about 4 p.m. (0700 GMT) on Wednesday, Yonhap said.

The foreign ministry declined to confirm the report, citing the sensitivity of the situation.