Istanbul - Somali pirates captured a Turkish freighter Wednesday in the Gulf of Aden, Turkish news agency Andolu reported. Five armed men stormed the Horizon-1 as it passed through Somali waters.
The freighter has a crew of 23, and was en route from Saudi Arabia to Jordan with a cargo of chemicals.
A Turkish naval vessel, the TCG Gediz, which is part of an international maritime effort against piracy, is now heading towards the vicinity of the freighter.
There were reports that an initial attack by the pirates was fought off by a nearby Dutch military vessel.
Current strong winds and rough seas have made any immediate rescue mission unlikely.
The waters off Somalia, which itself is a rebel insurgency which has seen tens of thousands leave the capital, Mogadishu, are now the most dangerous in the world, with more than 100 merchant navy ships attacked and dozens hijacked this year.
