German ship hijacked by pirates

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Pirates have seized a German-owned cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, officials say.

The MV Victoria, registered in Antigua and Barbuda, was hijacked on Tuesday, 75km (46 miles) south of Yemen, according to a US navy spokesman.

There was no information on the condition of the 10 or so crew.

The seas off Somalia have witnessed a sharp increase in piracy in recent months and it is estimated that about 20 ships are still being held.

One report says that the cargo and crew were being taken towards the town of Eyl, a key pirate base in the northern Somali breakaway region of Puntland.

On Sunday a South Korean navy warship foiled a pirate attack on a North Korean cargo ship off Somalia's coast.

Last year, pirates attacked more than 100 ships on a key shipping route, demanding huge ransoms for their release.

Their attacks have intensified recently, despite the presence of some 20 foreign naval vessels in the area to counter piracy.

Somalia has been without an effective administration since 1991, fuelling the lawlessness which has allowed piracy to thrive.