Ship Seized By Pirates 350 Miles Off Coast Of Oman

An Italian-flagged cargo ship bound for Brazil with a shipment of soybeans was seized by pirates in the Gulf of Aden Thursday morning. Pirates attacked the Rosalia D'Amato, which is operated by Naples-based Perseveranza, about 350 nautical miles off the coast of Salalah, Oman.

The captain of the ship contacted Perseveranza during the attack, according to company official Carlo Miccio. "The captain told me everything is okay, relatively speaking. He was trying to give me more information but the pirates understood what he was doing and they cut the line," Miccio said, adding that the 22 member crew is “in good condition.”

The Italian Foreign Ministry released a statement saying a “crisis unit is following the situation, in close collaboration with the Defense Ministry.”

The pirates have not made any demands. The Italian news agency ANSA reports the Rosalia D'Amato is now headed towards Somalia. Miccio said the ship’s location is still unclear. “We're in the process of trying to track it via satellite systems to see if it's moving," he added.

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