Somalian pirates hijack vessel headed to South Africa

Attackers firing machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades boarded a ship, en route to South Africa from India, off the coast of Somalia on Thursday, officials said, likely the latest assault by resurgent Somali pirates operating in the region.

The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre issued an alert over the attack, warning ships in the area. The private security firm Ambrey also said that an attack was underway, saying it targeted a Malta-flagged tanker heading from Sikka, India, to Durban, South Africa.

Ambrey added that it appeared to be an assault by Somali pirates, who have been reported as operating in the area in recent days and who seized an Iranian fishing boat to use as a base of operations.

Iran has not acknowledged the fishing boat's seizure, called the Issamohamadi. Details of the attacked vessel correspond to the Hellas Aphrodite, which changed its track and slowed down at the time of the attack.