2010-03-27

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Somali pirates have hijacked an Iranian ship carrying $4 million worth of Egyptian oranges off the coast of Yemen, Iranian media said on Saturday.

Fars news agency quoted Reza Nourani, head of the fresh fruits importers and exporters union, as saying the 5,000-tonne ship was seized last week while heading to Iran from Egypt.

The media reports said the ship was currently 640 km (400 miles) off the coast of Somalia and the hijackers were believed to be Somali.

Nourani said the ship was named as Talca and belongs to two members of the Iranian union.

Somali pirates have stepped up attacks in recent months, making tens of millions of dollars in ransoms from seizing ships in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.