Somali pirates hijack Iranian fishing vessel with 23 crew, EU naval center says

Somali pirates have hijacked an Iranian fishing vessel carrying 23 crew members near the coast of northeastern Somalia, according to the European Union's Indian Ocean maritime security center (MSCIO).

The center said the vessel was carrying 21 Iranian fishermen and two Somali guards. No information on the condition or safety of the crew was available at the time the report was published.

The hijacking is the latest in a series of incidents in waters off Somalia, where piracy had declined for years before resurging in recent seasons. Fishing vessels have frequently been targeted in the region, and crews are often held while negotiations over their release take place.

No group has publicly claimed responsibility for the seizure, and no further details on the vessel's identity or its exact position were provided in the initial report. It was not immediately clear whether any authorities had responded to the incident.

According to Mehr News, the information came from the EU's Indian Ocean maritime security center, which monitors shipping in the region.