PIRATES have hijacked a Panamanian-flagged carrier in waters off Somalia, taking 26 crew hostage, almost all of them Indian, a NATO spokeswoman said."The MV Al Khaliq, a Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier, has been hijacked early this morning off Somalia," said a spokeswoman for NATO's anti-piracy mission in London.
"There were 26 crew on board, 24 of whom are Indian and two Burmese."
A second carrier, the Italian-flagged Jolly Rosso, also came under fire from pirates north of the Seychelles, she said.