Somali pirates seize Yemeni cargo ship

Somali pirates are holding a Yemeni cargo ship with 16 crewmembers on board in the Indian Ocean, officials said on Monday.

Somali pirates are holding a Yemeni cargo ship with 16 crewmembers on board in the Indian Ocean, officials said on Monday.

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The al-Mahmoud 2 had left the southern port of Aden on December 18, Yemeni coastguards said. The owner of the vessel notified the security agencies about the seizure, Xinhua reported.

According to Yemeni officials, 41 cargo vessels were seized by pirates in the Gulf of Aden region in 2009. About 20,000 ships pass through the area every year.