Somali pirates seize German tanker

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Heavily-armed Somali pirates have hijacked a Europe-bound German-owned chemical tanker, taking hostage the 22 crewmembers onboard the carrier.

The pirates armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic guns stormed the Marida Marguerite, about 120 miles (190 km) south of Oman on Saturday afternoon, as it was making its way from India to Belgium, said the European Union Naval Force.

A spokesman for the anti-piracy task force said a military operation to free the tanker was unlikely, citing concerns about the safety of the crew -- who reportedly consists of 19 Indians, two Bangladeshis and one Ukrainian national.

Pirates currently hold more than 300 hostages taken from ships attacked off East Africa in the last several months.

Also on Saturday, Taiwan's foreign ministry said pirates hijacked a Taiwanese fishing boat off the Somali coast and demanded a ransom for the kidnapped crew.

The ship's owner lost contact with Tai Yuan 227 two days ago as it was headed for the Maldives. Upon the resumption of contact one day later he was told by hijackers to pay a ransom for the crew, the ministry said.

"We hope that the many other boats sailing in the area can stay alert and avoid the pirates from launching an attack at other boats from the Tai Yuan 227," the ministry cautioned.

The Gulf of Aden and water routes off the coast of Somalia remain the hotbed of mounting attacks on passing ships by Somali pirates despite the presence of about 35 international warships patrolling the lawless waters.