A freighter loaded with volatile chemicals has been seized in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Yemen.
Officials said Yemen had been alerted to the hijacking of the freighter and has launched a search. They said the vessel, Bunga Melati-5 and registered in Malaysia, was reported captured by unknown assailants on Aug. 29 in the Gulf of Aden.
“We believe it was pirates, but it could be an organized terrorist effort,” an official said.
Officials said the Yemeni Coast Guard, in cooperation with the United States, has been searching for the freighter. They said the freighter relayed an alert to nearby ships of attack by unidentified gunmen.
