Pirates Kidnap Four Off West African Coast

Pirates attacked the German-owned Liberian-flagged container ship 'Hansa Marburg' off the coast of Equatorial Guinea.

Citing the Hamburg-based shipping firm Leonhardt and Blumberg, owners of the vessel, Reuters report that the the four hostages - two Ukrainians, a Russian and one from the Pacific island nation of Kiribati - were taken when the Liberia-flagged Hansa Marburg was attacked on Tuesday by armed men.

The raid took place around 130 nautical miles off the coast of the small West African oil producer. In addition, a Greek-flagged oil tanker, Cap Theodora, was unsuccessfully attacked twice in the last week off the coast of Nigeria, close to where the Hansa Marburg was boarded, and  security sources the attacks are linked.

Source: Reuters