CAIRO: A cargo ship hijacked in the Gulf of Aden by Somali pirates is looking at paying the ransom in order to ensure their vessel is allowed to continue its journey, a MV Suez company official reported on Tuesday. The Egyptian managers of the ship said the Panama-flagged vessel would speak with the pirates later Tuesday in order to go through the details. The vessel is operated by the Red Sea Navigation Company, based in Egypt's Port Said. “We are expecting a call from the pirates in the next few hours,” Mohamed Abdel Meguid, the commercial director of the firm said in a report from Reuters. “We are willing to pay a ransom, as long as it is reasonable to ensure the safety of our crew,” he added. he MV SUEZ vessel was reported to be under small arms fire in the early morning hours Monday, after it was attacked by three skiffs. Only minutes later, the pirates boarded the ship and now have it under their control. Attempts were made by navies in the area to make contact with the Egyptian ship, but nothing has been reported as of Monday morning. The ship was traveling under the Panamanian flag when attacked. “Immediately after the first report a helicopter was directed to the ship, but pirates had already taken over the command of the vessel,” the news bulletin said. The boat was carrying 23 crewmen, including 9 Egyptians, 7 Pakistanis, three Indians and two Sri Lankans. In recent years, scores of ships have been hijacked as a result of Somali piracy, forcing a number of international shipping companies to look for alternative routes that avoid Egypt's Suez Canal and the Gulf of Aden. BM
