Somali pirates hijack Panamanian carrier with 24 Indian crew

I / Brussels October 22, 2009, 16:55 IST

Pirates today hijacked a Panamanian-flagged carrier in waters off Somalia, taking 26 crew hostage, 24 of them Indian, a NATO spokeswoman said.

"The MV Al Khaliq, a Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier, has been hijacked early this morning off Somalia," said a spokeswoman for NATO's anti-piracy mission in London.

"There were 26 crew on board, 24 of whom are Indian and two Burmese."

A second carrier, the Italian-flagged Jolly Rosso, also came under fire from pirates north of the Seychelles, she said.