Somali pirates seize Egyptian ship and 28 crew

SOMALI pirates seized an Egyptian cargo ship and its 28 crew members yesterday while a Malaysian military helicopter saved an Indian tanker from being hijacked in the new year’s first attacks by pirates in the dangerous Gulf of Aden.

Fifteen armed pirates snatched the Egyptian vessel, called Blue Star, after the ship exited the Red Sea and entered the gulf, carrying a cargo of 6,000 tonnes of fertiliser, said Egyptian deputy foreign minister Ahmed Rizq.

The pirates then steered the ship toward the coast of Somalia, Rizq said.