NAIROBI, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Somali pirates have hijacked an Indian dhow off the coast of the Horn of the African nation in the latest pirate incidents, a regional maritime official confirmed on Monday.

Andrew Mwangura, the East African Coordinator of Seafarers' Assistance Program (SAP) said the Laxmi Sagar was seized on Sundaybut the reports reached his organization on Monday.

"The Indian dhow was seized on Sunday but we received the report early today. The crew is Indian. I have not established where the dhow was heading from and its destination," Mwangura told Xinhua by telephone from Mombasa.

Sources said the Indian dhow operates frequently between Saudi Arabia and the African coast.

Piracy has become rampant off the coast of Africa, especially in the waters near Somalia, which has been without an effective government since 1991.

An estimated 25,000 ships annually cruise the Gulf of Aden, off Somalia's northern coast.

The Gulf of Aden, off the northern coast of Somalia, has the highest risk of piracy in the world. About 25,000 ships use the channel south of Yemen, between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.