Hong Kong's vessel with 22 on board hijacked

KUALA LUMPUR: A Chemical tanker, with 22 crew members on board, has been hijacked by armed pirates in the Gulf of Aden near Somalia - the 12th ship to be seized in the waterway since July 20, a maritime official said on Tuesday.
 
The vessel from Hong Kong was heading towards Asia through a maritime security corridor in the Gulf, patrolled by an international naval force, when it was attacked yesterday, Noel Choong of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said.  
"The pirates are getting more aggressive, with attacks on the rise despite increased security efforts. We urge all ships to keep a strict watch even while transiting in the corridor," Choong, who heads the IMB's piracy reporting centre here said.
 
With the hijacking of the tanker, the tally of the ships hijacked off the coast of Somalia this year has reached 54.