Somali pirates seized an Iranian fishing vessel carrying 23 people off northeastern Somalia, raising concerns it could be used to launch further attacks on commercial shipping, the Associated Press reported Sunday.
The vessel, Azini, was hijacked Thursday between the coastal towns of Bandar Bayla and Hafun, a maritime security officer with the Puntland Maritime Police Force told AP.
The officer said 12 pirates seized the vessel, which was carrying 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards.
The Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean said the crew's safety remained unknown and warned that the vessel could be used as a "mother ship" to support attacks on commercial vessels as it approached a major shipping lane.
The European Union's naval Operation Atalanta was investigating the incident, while maritime authorities urged ships in the area to remain vigilant.
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