MIAMI, (Reuters) – An Antigua and Barbuda-flagged  cargo ship has been hijacked by a band of pirates in the Gulf  of Aden off the coast of Somalia, the government of the  Caribbean state said yesterday.

It was the latest reported seizure of a vessel in the Gulf  of Aden by pirates from virtually lawless Somalia, who over the  last few years have captured dozens of vessels and hundreds of  hostages, making off with millions of dollars in ransoms.

“At approximately 09:09 a.m. AST (1309 GMT), the Maritime  Administration of Antigua and Barbuda was advised that the  Antigua and Barbuda-flagged cargo vessel the m/v Victoria had  been hijacked by eight pirates in the Gulf of Aden whilst  proceeding toward the Port of Jeddah in the Red Sea,” the  Antigua and Barbuda government said in a statement.

It added the 7,767 gross ton, 146-meter Victoria had a crew  of ten and it was believed the hijacked vessel was being taken  to the Somalian port of Eyl, a known pirate lair. The statement  gave no more details about the fate of the ship’s crew.

Antigua and Barbuda’s government said the vessel, which is  managed by a company in Germany, had been registered with the  European Union anti-piracy flotilla operating in the region and  was navigating in the recommended East-West corridor of the  Gulf at the time of the hijacking.

The ship’s management company and the International  Maritime Organization had been informed of the seizure.

Despite the presence of warships from several nations in  the Gulf of Aden, Somali pirate attacks have continued.

Last month, U.S. Navy commandos shot and killed three  pirates to free Richard Phillips, a U.S. ship captain held  hostage by the sea raiders. A fourth suspected pirate was  arrested and brought to the United States for trial.

Phillips’ kidnapping prompted several U.S. lawmakers to  call for putting U.S. military forces on board commercial  vessels, a measure opposed by the Pentagon.