Somalia: Spanish Fishing boat captured by pirates...

Fate of the crew is unknown at this time.

A Spanish fishing boat with 26 crew on board has been seized by pirates off Somalia, officials in Spain say. They say the Playa de Bakio - a Basque tuna boat - was attacked about 250 miles (400km) off the coast. A source from the Basque regional government said the boat was in "international waters". The fate of the crew is unknown.

A source from the Basque government's Agriculture, Fisheries and Food department told Spanish news agency Efe that four armed pirates took control of the boat using grenade launchers. The source said the crew was made up of 13 Africans and 13 Spaniards, and the boat suffered "some damage" in the attack but is "navigable". The boat is currently heading towards Somalia, the source added.

The Playa de Bakio was taken in the same area as the Le Ponant. "The defence ministry has instructed one of its ships which is nearby to head immediately to the area of the incident," the foreign ministry's statement said. A Spanish military frigate that was in the Red Sea was heading towards the are where the fishing boat was seized, a government source said. The defence ministry has also been in contact with military officials of nations with a military presence in the area to request "logistics support and help in locating the affected boat, the statement added.

Dear CNN, call me crazy, but I think being forcibly boarded by thugs wielding guns and grenade launchers sure sounds like PIRATE to me! Presumed Pirates take fishing boat off Somalia. Walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and all that.
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