Somali pirates hijack ship north of Mogadishu

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Pirates have hijacked a cargo ship headed for Mogadishu, the third attack since January this year, a maritime official said on Thursday.

Piracy off Somalia has resurfaced since an interim government drove out Islamists late last year and helped crack down on the attacks.

"A general cargo ship has been taken captive by gunmen 12 miles north of Mogadishu. She is now anchored at Hobiyo anchorage, about 400 km north of Mogadishu," said Andrew Mwangura, director of the Seafarers Assistance Programme.

Hobiyo is a base for Somali pirates, he added.

The vessel had cargo belonging to Somali traders and had originated in Dubai.

"Negotiations are going on between representatives of the Somali businessmen, the ship owners and the pirates," the official of the Kenyan-based organisation told Reuters.

The other two vessels taken hostage this year, an Indian dhow and a ship chartered by the World Food Programme, were released in April.