An Italian oil tanker was hijacked close to the coast of Oman early Tuesday morning in an area where Somali pirates are known to operate, AFP reported.
The ship, which is owned by Marnavi, was reportedly carrying 18 people. The Italian navy was informed of the incident and the company has been in touch with the foreign ministry, the report said.
There were six Italians, five Ukrainians and seven Indians onboard when the ship came under attack in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The ship was carrying a cargo of caustic soda to the Mediterranean.
On Dec. 21, another Italian oil tanker was freed after being in pirate captivity for more than 10 months after a ransom was paid, the report said.
Ransoms for tankers often reach into the millions of dollars. The long coastline of war-ravaged Somalia provides a perfect haven for pirate gangs preying on shipping off the East African coast.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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