[Iran Press TV Latest] Somali pirates have hijacked an unidentified cargo ship between Kismayu and Mombasa Seaport, after failing to seize an Israeli vessel. The pirates opened fire on an Israeli cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden in an attempt to hijack the vessel on Saturday. However the vessel called in air support, which drove the pirates away.
The Maltese-flagged cargo ship, The Africa Star, was owned by Israeli logistics and transportation giant Zim.
Having failed to hijack the Israeli ship, the heavily armed bandits captured another cargo ship holding as least 27 crewmembers hostage, sources told Press TV. The owner company of the vessel or the nationality of the crewmembers held hostage remains unknown.
More than 130 merchant ships were attacked in the region last year according to the International Maritime Bureau.