Somali pirates capture commercial vessel
MOGADISHU, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Pirates in Somalia's Indian Ocean are reported to have captured a commercial vessel, the first since 2012 raising fears of a possible resurgence of piracy in the Indian Ocean waters off Somalia.
A government official in Puntland region who declined to be named confirmed the incident Tuesday to Xinhua, noting the vessel was heading from Djibouti en route to Mogadishu before the pirates captured it.
"I can confirm to you the vessel is under the control of the pirates. We have information it is from United Arab Emirates. We are still following up on the development," the official said.
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Sri Lanka monitoring hijacking of Sri Lankan vessel by Somali pirates
COLOMBO, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that it was monitoring the alleged hijacking of a Sri Lankan flagged fuel freighter by Somali pirates and was in touch with shipping agents and concerned authorities.
"The ministry is aware of media reports regarding the alleged hijacking of a reportedly "Sri Lankan-flagged fuel freighter" by pirates," the Foreign Ministry said.
"The ministry is taking action to verify the alleged incident, and initial inquiries have revealed that while the vessel involved is not registered under a Sri Lankan flag, it has a 8-member Sri Lankan crew," it added.
The ministry further said it continued to remain in touch with the shipping agents, concerned authorities, as well as relevant Sri Lanka missions overseas to ascertain further information on the matter in order to ensure the safety and welfare of the Sri Lankan crew.
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