Pirates attacked a Danish oil tanker crew off Gulf of Guinea and kidnapped six members of them.

In a statement, the French Navy confirmed the piracy after finding and rescuing the tanker off the coast of Sao Tome and Principe, Pointing out that the Liberian-flagged tanker “Monjasa Reformer”, was attacked by a pirate boat when it was 140 nautical miles from the Port Pointe-Noire, Congo, and lost contact with its crew soon after that.

It had been spotted by a drone from the French patrol boat, deployed as part France’s anti-piracy mission Corymbe, the French defense ministry said in a statement, adding that six of its crew were kidnapped and three of the remaining crew members had received minor injuries.

In a related context, The owner company, based in Fredericia, Denmark, said in a statement that it is working closely with the local authorities to obtain the sailors safe return, without specifying their number, affirming that there was no reported damage to the vessel or cargo.

It is worth noting that the Gulf of Guinea represents an important sea passage for hydrocarbon-rich countries, extending over 5,700 km between Senegal and Angola. It has witnessed piracy activities for several years, but it has recently declined thanks to the joint efforts of the coastal states and European countries.

Source: Qatar News Agency