Pirates on Wednesday hijacked a Malta-flagged cargo ship carrying a crew of 15 Georgians and three Turks in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia, the European Union`s anti-piracy mission said.
A US warship deployed a helicopter to check on the ship after several unsuccessful attemps to make contact with the Olib G, a 6,375-tonne vessel, the EU mission said in a statement.
The helicopter was able to identify two pirates on board,` the EU Naval Force Somalia (EU NAVFOR) said.
The ship had been sailing west in the internationally recommended transit corridor, an area where international navies coordinate the patrol of maritime transits, the statement said.
Georgian Foreign Ministry has confirmed the arrest of the ship with Georgian crew. The authorities say they are now working to identify the sailors.
