Somali pirates hijacked a Liberia-flagged vessel today in the Gulf of Aden but three crew escaped the attack by jumping overboard and were rescued, French navy sources told.
The Biscaglia, believed to be a chemical and oil tanker, was attacked early in the morning by five pirates, said Jean-Marc Le Quilliec, commander of the French frigate Nivose.
The three crew members were fished out by a German navy helicopter and were to be dropped off on another French ship nearby, he told an AFP reporter on board the Nivose.