Somali, January 13: In yet another strike, Somali pirates have seized an Indian vessel along with 14 people on board off the coast of Oman.
“Somali pirates have hijacked an Indian dhow with 14 crew near Salalah. The incident took place on January 9,” a senior official in the Directorate of Shipping told news agency PTI today.
The dhow (a slow-moving vessel) was sailing off Oman, about 800 nautical miles from the Somali coast when the pirates attacked, taking hostage all 14 Indian crew members on board, the official said.
Last year, the Somali pirates carried out several strikes, capturing 11 dhows with over 100 Indians on board.
However, they later released majority of the vessels after payment of ransom.
Repeated attacks on Indian vessels had prompted the government to issue warning to dhows about the dangers in those waters, particularly along the sea-lanes of Salalah and Male.
–Agencies–