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presstv

An 11,000-ton cargo ship hijacked by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden does not belong to Iran, a state media reports.

The Bermuda-flagged ship, named Talca, belongs to a firm based in the Virgin Islands, IRNA news agency reported on Monday.

The Talca left the Egyptian port of Sokhna for the Persian Gulf port of Bushehr in Iran, carrying $4 million worth of oranges. The ship was hijacked 120 nautical miles (222 km) off the coast of Oman on March 23.

The vessel was carrying 5,000 tons of oranges to Iran when it was seized by pirates while passing outside the International Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC).

As the Indian Ocean-Red Sea Corridor has become notorious for pirate attacks, the IRTC 'secure' corridor has been established, and ships are advised to travel in convoys.

The hijacked ship has 25-strong crew, including 23 Sri Lankans, plus a Filipino and a Syrian national on board, the report added.

Despite the presence of warships and maritime patrol aircrafts aimed at securing the busy transit route, Somali pirates have stepped up their attacks in recent months.