Somali pirates have captured a Vietnamese-owned cargo ship and 24 Vietnamese crewmen off the coast of Oman, the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) reported on its website Thursday (January 20).

 

According to EUNAVFOR, further details of the attack, which took place about 520 nautical miles South-East of Muscat port, are yet to be known.

 

The MV Hoang Son Sun weighed 22,835 tons and flew the Mongolian flag, the agency said.

 

It had not been registered with maritime authorities responsible for helping prevent pirate attacks, AP reported.

 

In the meantime, Hoang Son Co. Ltd, which owns the ship, reported to Vietnam’s Maritime Security Center, that it was seized at noon on January 17.

 

The company said they received the information from a fax sent to them on the evening of January 18.

 

The ship was carrying 21,000 tons of iron ore.

 

The Maritime Security Center is currently cooperating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to locate the boat, according to Do Van Quang, director of the center.

 

Nguyen Duy Thien, Vietnam’s ambassador in Tanzania, said that the country’s diplomat agencies in the region are working with the Somali government to obtain more information about the case.

 

EUNAVFOR said 30 vessels and 723 hostages are currently being held by pirates off the coast of Somalia.