Greek-owned cargo ship under attack off West Africa, two abducted

A Greek-owned cargo vessel came under attack by pirates off the coast of West Africa and two of the crew members have been abducted, Greek authorities said on Tuesday.

The two persons captured are the Ukrainian captain and the Greek engineer of Marshall Islands-flagged "Althea", according to the Greek Shipping Ministry.

There were 18 crew members on board when the tanker managed by Medtankers was attacked by a dozen of armed men while sailing between Nigeria and Guinea, according to early information.

No injuries have been reported. The armed men left with personal belongings of the crew, not the oil transferred by the ship between local ports.

No request for ransom has been made yet, but officials believed that the pirates will attempt to bargain the release of the two men, demanding money.

Similar hijackings are on the rise in the area after international efforts in recent years reduced the activity of pirates off Somalia, according to experts.