10 Turkish Sailors Abducted Off Nigeria

At least 10 Turkish sailors traveling aboard Paksoy-1 have been abducted off Nigerian waters, an official said.

"We got information that 10 sailors were abducted from Paksoy-1 as it headed towards Brass in Rivers State," said the official, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The official said the ship is operated by Kadioglu Maritime and had 18 crew on board at the time it was attacked by pirates suspected to be from Nigeria's volatile delta region.

A statement from Kadioglu Maritime said the ship was sailing without freight from Cameroon's port city of Douala to Abidjan in Ivory Coast when it was boarded in the Gulf of Guinea.

The statement said the 8,900 deadweight-ton ship's communication and navigation equipment were damaged in the process.

"No injuries or loss of lives occurred according to initial information. Our efforts continue for the safe and sound release of all of our personnel," according to the statement. -