30 to 50 Somali pirates have hijacked Indonesian flagged and owned bulk cargo carrier approximately 320 nautical miles North East of the island of Socotra in the Somali Basin

30 to 50 Somali pirates have hijacked Indonesian flagged and owned bulk cargo carrier approximately 320 nautical miles North East of the island of Socotra in the Somali Basin, EU anti-piracy mission said on Thursday.

EU Naval Force Somalia spokesman Paddy O’Kennedy said the MV Sinar Kudus was pirated on Wednesday and within 24 hours of being taken, she was used to launch an unsuccessful attack on the MV Emperor.

He said the MV Sinar Kudus, which is Indonesian flagged and owned, was on its way to Suez (Egypt) from Singapore when it was attacked.

"Details of the attack are not known at this time but initial reports from the crew stated that 30 to 50 pirates had boarded and taken control of the vessel," O’Kennedy said.

The MV Sinar Kudus has a crew of 20, all Indonesian.

He said a skiff with five pirates on board was launched from the Indonesian vessel and attacked the Emperor but was repelled by the armed force from the merchant vessel.

"The Emperor was subsequently reported to be safe.

The MV Sinar Kudus and the MV Emperor were registered with Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) and were reporting to UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

The Gulf of Aden, a body of water between Somalia and Yemen, is the main sea route between Europe and Asia.

Tankers carrying Middle East oil through the Suez Canal must pass first through the Gulf of Aden.

About four per cent of the world’s daily oil supply is shipped through the gulf.

The attacks are being carried out by increasingly well- coordinated Somali gangs armed with automatic weapons and rocket- propelled grenades, maritime officials said.

The Horn of Africa nation has been without a functioning government since 1991, and remains one of the world’s most violent and lawless countries.

Combined Task Force 150, a naval alliance dominated by the United States and based in the Gulf of Aden nation of Djibouti, is patrolling an area within the Gulf of Aden to help protect ships from pirates.

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