Somali pirates on Wednesday seized a Danish-owned container ship with 21 American crew members on board, a regional maritime offficial, dpa reported
Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers' Association said that the 17,000-ton vessel, operated by an American company, was seized in the Indian Ocean.
"There are 21 American crew members on board, and they are all safe," he told German Press Agency dpa.
The ship, which is believed to be owned by Danish firm Maersk, was taken around around 7.30am and is now believed to be sailing to the Somali port town of Eyl.
The ship is the sixth to be seized since Saturday, marking an upturn in piracy after a relative lull.
A British-owned cargo ship and a Taiwanese vessel were seized on Monday, adding to French yacht, a Yemeni tugboat and a German container ship seized over the weekend.
The presence of international warships had appeared to be deterring attacks. Now, however, pirates are moving further out to sea in search of prey.
Pirates in 2008 seized dozens of ships and earned tens of millions of dollars in ransom, prompting the international community to send in the warships.
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