Pirates strike again off Somali coast

Pirates have hijacked a Thai fishing boat with 16 crew members off the coast of Somalia – the eighth ship seized in the area in the past two weeks.

Noel Choong of the International Maritime Bureau said the vessel was seized in the Gulf of Aden on Monday.

It was earlier reported that an Iranian bulk cargo carrier with 25 crew members was also seized on Monday.

Choong says both the vessels were heading to the Middle East when they were hijacked.

The Thai boat was flying a Kiribati flag but operated out of Thailand. The bulk carrier was flying a Hong Kong flag but operated by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines.

The latest incidents bring the number of attacks in Somali waters this year to 95, with 39 ships hijacked. Choong says 17 vessels remain in the hands of pirates.