A Danish-flagged freighter with a crew of sixwas on Thursday reported seized by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, dpa quoted the Danish Shipowners' Association as saying. The news came one day after pirates reportedly fired on the 67- metre long vessel, the Leopard, when it was off the coast of Oman. There has been no contact with the ship since. Unconfirmed reports suggested the ship was heading for Somalia. Two of the crew members are Danish nationals, including the captain, while four are Filipinos, according to the Danish news agency Ritzau. The European Union's anti-piracy Operation Atalanta, deployed off the coast of Somalia, estimates that pirates are currently holding about 30 vessels and 600 crew members hostage. A Danish vessel, the Danica White, was held by pirates for 83 days in 2007. -- SPA
