Italian Target

According to news reports, pirates seized an Italian tanker with a crew of 23 in the Gulf of Guinea on Sunday.

Three pirates managed to board the vessel, “Rbd Anema e Core” 23 nautical miles south of Cotonou, the economic capital of Benin.

The crew onboard the tanker includes 20 Filipino seamen, two Italians and a Romanian captain.

Italy’s foreign ministry said its crisis unit was in touch with the Naples-based shipowner and following the situation closely.