Chemical tanker hijacked off Djibouti

Aden - In yet another act of piracy on the high seas, a chemical tanker has been hijacked in the Red Sea, according to a communiqué by the EU Naval Force Somalia (EUNAVFOR).

The tanker, the MT Motivator, radioed it was under attack by small arms fire from a pirate vessel in the early hours of July 4 in the northern Bab Al Mandeb straight of the southern Red Sea. This is a very narrow area that separates the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti from the Arabian Peninsula. International organizations, including EUNAVFOR, tried to contact the Motivator after the call, but to no avail. The hijack was confirmed July 5, according to a press release. The Motor Tanker (MT) Motivator is a 13,065 deadweight tonne ship with 18 Filipino nationals on board. It is flagged in the Marshall Islands and is loaded with lubricating oil. EUNAVFOR says it is monitoring the situation. The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs said it was contacting the agency that supplied the tanker's crew to verify the hijacking.