Japanese Freighter Seized Off Somali Coast

November 16, 2008 3:50 p.m. EST

Miami, FL (AHN) - Armed pirates hijacked a Japanese freighter and its 23-member crew off the coast of Somalia on Saturday.

The 20,000-ton cargo ship was seized 96 miles east of the Gulf of Aden.

The crew consists of five South Koreans and 18 members from the Philippines.

The Gulf of Aden connects the Red Seas and the Arabian Sea.

The area has become a hotbed for ship hijackings. According to the International Maritime Bureau, there have been more than 84 attacks and 33 hijackings off Somalia this year.

Somali pirates are usually well-trained fighters using speed boats equipped with satellite phones and GPS equipment. They are usually armed with automatic weapons and rockets.

Navies from around the world have sent ships to patrol the area and to escort cargo ships.

Among the ships are a Russian frigate, several Indian vessels, a NATO flotilla of seven ships and the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.