VILNIUS — One Lithuanian sailor has been abducted after his motorboat was attacked by pirates somewhere off the west coast of Africa.

Piracy around the African continent is rife, especially in the Gulf of Aden near Somalia. The attack on a Lithuanian ship is not the first — last year a ship with five Lithuanian nationals aboard was hijacked and then released after a ransom was paid.

The other crew members guided the main ship, which is owned by the Lithuanian state, back to port where it is moored safely.

The vessels were both attacked at around 2 p.m. Lithuanian time on Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

The man’s family has been notified, but so far no ransom has been demanded from the pirates. The health of the sailor is yet unknown.

Foreign minister Audronius Ažubalis is heading a multi-lateral taskforce to sort out the situation. The Prosecutor General’s Office has also opened an investigation into the incident.

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