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Somali pirates hijack first commercial ship since 2012

An oil tanker offloading 50,000 tonnes of crude at Shimanzi oil terminal at Mombasa, Kenya. Somali pirates hijacked a Sri Lankan-flagged oil tanker on March 13, 2017. PHOTO | FILE |

Pirates have hijacked a Sri Lankan-flagged oil tanker, a Somali official said on Tuesday, the first time they have successfully taken a commercial ship since 2012.

The Aris 13 sent a distress call on Monday, turned off its tracking system and altered course for the Somali port town of Alula, said John Steed of the aid group Oceans Beyond Piracy.

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