Pirates have hijacked two chemical tankers near the Somali coast, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has said.

Cyrus Mody, an IMB spokesman, said a Panama-flagged ship, was taken on
Wednesday, and a ship registered in the Bahamas was taken on Thursday.

The US 5th Fleet, which patrols the Gulf of Aden, confirmed both hijackings had taken place within the past 24 hours.

The Panama-flagged vessel is said to be the Greek-owned 9,000-ton Nipayia, manned by 19 crew members. It was attacked 720km off Somalia.

The second vessel is the Norwegian-owned Bow Asir and far larger at 23,000-tonne.

Unknown cargo

It is reported to have 28 people onboard including a Russian captain. It is not yet known what cargo is being transported.

The ship was taken by a gang of 20 pirates carrying machine guns, reports said.

More than 20 ships from the EU, Nato, China and Russia now patrol the waters off Somalia and around the Horn of Africa, a busy shipping lane plagued by pirates.

Shipping routes off the coasts of Eastern and Western Africa have become increasingly dangerous, with the Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Guinea, and the coasts of Cameroon and Nigeria becoming the most risky.

Dozens of ships seized by pirates have been released after owners paid tens of millions of dollars in ransom.