At least nine Somali pirates have been killed in fresh offensive by the European Union warships against sea hijackers in the Red Sea.

The EU warships' attack was the third against the hijackers' boat within the last 24 hours, Abdi Shirwac, a spokesman for the pirates, told Press TV.

Somali pirates vowed to hunt EU warships and Yemen fishing boats, Shirwac added.

Pirates are hijacking ships commuting near the Gulf of Aden on a daily basis, taking the ships' crews hostage and demanding ransoms.

Last year, Somali pirates were held responsible for 217 piracy attempts, with 47 vessels successfully seized and 867 crew members taken hostage.

Piracy has become a lucrative business in the high seas surrounding the lawless state in the Horn of Africa, with heavily-armed sea robbers spreading their criminal activities to around 1,000 kilometers away from Somali coastlines.