Somali Pirates Hijack Oil Tanker in Gulf of Aden

A Kuwait-owned oil tanker was hijacked by Somali pirates on Monday, naval officials confirm. The MV ZIRKU was traveling about 250 miles off the coast of Oman in the Gulf of Aden when pirates in two skiffs began firing rocket-propelled grenades and small arms. Pirates later boarded the tanker.

"At approximately 0900 (GMT) on 28 March, the Crude Oil Tanker the MV ZIRKU was pirated approximately 250 nautical miles southeast of Salalah in the eastern part of the Gulf of Aden," the European Union Naval Force said in a post on its website.

The ZIRKU, which was carrying a crew of 29, was en route to Singapore when it was seized. The condition of the crew is unknown. It is unclear how much oil the vessel was carrying. No other details were available.

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