Cargo ship with 20 Filipinos hijacked off Somalia coast

A cargo ship with 20 Filipino sailors has been hijacked off the coast of Somalia, a Philippines official said on Wednesday.

Pirates climbed aboard the bulk carrier Stella Maris on Sunday and seized the ship in the Gulf of Aden, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Estaban Conejos told reporters.

He said the Japanese owner has been is contact with the crew and that they are safe. The ship was located off the northeastern tip of Somalia, he said.

Conejos ruled out paying a ransom to free the hostages, saying that it was against the Philippines government policy.

"We look towards local manning agents and the ship owner and the host country because they have the responsibility to ensure the safety and the earliest release of the crew,'' he said.

Pirate attacks in Somalia and Nigeria have gone up in the first quarter of 2008, making Africa the world's top piracy hotspot, the International Maritime Bureau had reported earlier this month.

In April, Somali pirates seized a luxury French yacht with 30 crew, including 22 French and six Filipinos. A week later, French troops arrested six pirates after the hostages were released.