Six Russian sailors have been abducted by pirates off the coast of West Africa, according to Russian sources. The attackers took six crew members as hostages and fled with them, the Russian embassy in the African Republic of Benin said today on their website.
There were 24 people aboard the container ship, most of them Russian citizens. The incident took place on Wednesday in the Gulf of Guinea, according to the embassy. Among the hostages is also the captain of the ship.
There are always kidnappings off the coasts of West Africa. Often, crew members are abducted ashore to extort ransom. Often the cargo of the ships is robbed.
