A Turkish cargo ship with 23 crew on board has been seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia.
Istanbul-based Horizon Shipping said pirates in speed boats had surrounded the Horizon I vessel in the Gulf of Aden at about 0530 GMT.
Three attackers managed to board the tanker, which was heading from Saudi Arabia to Jordan, the firm said.
Maritime officials believe pirates in Somalia are still holding about 10 ships for ransom.
The country has been without a functioning central government since 1991, allowing pirates to operate almost uninhibited in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
 |  In this season it is hard to take ships because monsoon winds make the seas rough. No one expected attacks at this time  Negotiator Andrew Mwangura |
Omer Ozgur, from Horizon Shipping, told the Associated Press that the Horizon I was continuing on its course despite the hijack.
The pirates have not yet issued any demands, or contacted the firm.
Andrew Mwangura, of the East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme which works to free ships, confirmed the seizure.
"In this season it is hard to take ships because monsoon winds make the seas rough. No one expected attacks at this time," he told Reuters news agency.
After the release of a Belgian ship last month, the International Maritime Bureau said pirates were still holding 12 ships and 200 crew.
Earlier in June EU ministers agreed to extend an anti-piracy operation - known as Atalanta - off the Horn of Africa until the end of 2010.
Two dozen ships from European Union nations, including Britain, France, Germany and Italy, patrol an area of about two million square miles.
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