The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced on the 17th, local time, that it received a report of a cargo ship being hijacked by armed men in waters near Somalia, Africa.

According to the report received by the UKMTO, eight armed men forcibly boarded the vessel 4 nautical miles south of Maryo, Somalia, and subsequently seized control of the ship.

The UKMTO stated that the relevant authorities are investigating the incident, while urging vessels to exercise caution while navigating and to report any suspicious movements.

It added that the name of the ship involved in the incident, its flag of registry, and whether there were any casualties or other damages have not been disclosed.

No group has yet come forward to claim responsibility for the hijacking.

Piracy activities near Somalia have been on the rise again recently, taking advantage of global attention being focused on the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf due to the Middle East conflict.

In the first half of this year, piracy incidents occurring in the waters off Somalia and the Gulf of Aden totaled 9, a threefold increase compared to the first half of last year.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)