SOMALI pirates have hijacked a Yemeni ship loaded with steel in the Gulf of Aden, in the Arabian Sea, officials said yesterday, a day after local sources said the gang holding a Saudi supertanker demanded a $15 million (€11.5m) ransom.

Pirates holding a Ukrainian ship laden with tanks and weapons today claimed they were celebrating the Muslim feast of Eid al-Fitr despite being surrounded by American warships and helicopters.

Somali pirates holding a Taiwan-flagged fishing vessel since mid-May killed one of the 16 crew members because the ship’s owners have not paid a ransom, a maritime official said today.

Pirates hijacked a cargo ship delivering UN food aid to north-eastern Somalia today, officials said.

A cargo ship carrying 20,000 tonnes of coal sank off the coast of Somalia, and a rescue mission was under way to save the crew, officials said today.

Pirates hijacked a commercial ship off the coast of Somalia, killing an Indian crew member and wounding two others before releasing the vessel a week later to return to its home port in the United Arab Emirates, officials said today.