A Sri Lankan national is among 17 crew members onboard an oil tanker hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, according to international media reports.
The vessel, identified as Honour 25, was reportedly seized late Wednesday by armed men while sailing around 30 nautical miles off the Somali coast.
Reports said the crew includes 10 Pakistanis, four Indonesians, one Indian, one Sri Lankan and one Myanmar national.
The tanker was said to be carrying 18,500 barrels of oil and was heading towards Mogadishu when it was hijacked.
Security sources said the ship is currently anchored near the Somali shoreline between the fishing towns of Xaafun and Bander Beyla, under the control of the pirates.
The hijacking marks another sign of renewed piracy activity in waters off Somalia, where attacks had sharply declined in recent years before resurging again. (Newswire)