A Chinese-owned fishing vessel with 18 crew members aboard was hijacked last week off the northeastern coast of Somalia, local authorities said Friday.
An official in Xaafuun district in the semi-autonomous state of Puntland, where the vessel is being held, told journalists that the hijackers include the ship’s security guards, who later joined forces with armed men from the coastal region.
The European Union’s anti-piracy naval force, Eunavfor Atalanta, brought global attention to the incident after issuing a statement on Thursday that confirmed the local maritime authorities had notified it and investigations revealed that armed men were in control.
“Regarding the crewmembers, there are up to 18 people. None has been injured.
After investigation, the event has been classified as armed robbery at sea,” the statement read in part.
A local businessman familiar with the incident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal by the government, told The Associated Press that at the time of hijacking, the ship had two guards aboard.
