A Bulgaria-flagged ship, MV PANEGA, has been hijacked in the Gulf of Aden by Somali pirates, EU Navfor Somalia announced.

The Bulgarian ship was hijacked approximately 100 nautical miles east of Aden (Yemen), reported EU Navfor.

The ship was on route from the Red Sea to India when she was attacked by pirates.

MV PANEGA with a dead weight of 5,848 tonnes, has a crew of 15 all Bulgarian, according to EU NAVFOR, which vows to continue to monitor the situation. All 15 Bulgarian sailors are believed to have been captured by the Somali pirates.

The Panega (built 1986, 5,848 dwt) is a single-skin hulled product tanker operated by Navigation Maritime Bulgare Ltd (NAVIBULGAR), Bulgaria.

The news was confirmed by the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry late Tuesday night.

Before the hijacking of MV PANGEA, a total of 13 Bulgarian sailors from the crews of St. James Park and Asian Glory had been kept in captivity. The UK-owned ships St. James Park and Asian Glory were hijacked on December 29, 2009, and January 1, 2010, respectively, and their crews have been kept in captivity ever since.

With Tuesday's hijacking, the total number of Bulgarian sailors kept by the Somali pirates rises to 28.

Expect details as more information becomes available

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