[boxcigsnick]

Somali pirates hijack ship with 18 Filipinos on board: EU



Hijacked Chinese bulk carrier De Xin Hai is seen in this picture published on the European Union Naval Force Operation Against Piracy website and taken October 19, 2009. On Monday, pirates hijacked a Marshall-flagged chemical tanker carrying 18 Filipino sailors in the southern Red Sea. Photo/REUTERS

By AFP
Posted Monday, July 5 2010 at 12:53

BRUSSELS, July 5, 2010 - Somali pirates have hijacked a Marshall-flagged chemical tanker carrying 18 Filipino sailors in the southern Red Sea, the EU anti-piracy mission said Monday.

The MT Motivator reported coming under small arms fire from pirates early Sunday in the northern Bab-Al-Mandeb area, the strait between the Arabian peninsula and the Horn of Africa, the EU NAVFOR mission said in a statement.

"After notification of this attack, attempts were made to make contact with the Motivator but to no avail. The hijack was confirmed early on 5 July," the statement said.