Pirates hijack UAE cargo ship

Somali pirates have hijacked a UAE-owned cargo ship in the Indian Ocean, the European Union naval force in Somalia has reported.

ABU DHABI // Somali pirates hijacked a UAE-owned cargo ship in the Indian Ocean today, the European Union naval force in Somalia reported.

Four pirates boarded the vessel after firing small arms and rocket-propelled grenades at the Orna approximately 400 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles. The crew is reportedly cooperating, and no damage has been reported.

A statement released by EUNAVFOR, a EU anti-piracy mission operating in Somalia that works to protect vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, said the number of sailors aboard the Panama-flagged ship was unknown.