A chemical tanker with a crew of 28 North Koreans has reportedly been hijacked by pirates in waters off Somalia.

The European Union’s naval force said Wednesday that the MV Theresa VIII, a Singaporean-operated tanker, was taken on Monday in the south Somali Basin, some 320 kilometers northwest of the Seychelles.

The EU’s naval force said the 22-thousand-ton vessel had been heading for the Kenyan port city of Mombasa but was diverted north after the pirate attack.

Somali pirates have succeeded in 35 of their 170 hijacking attempts this year. The pirates currently are detaining a dozen ships and are demanding ransom for some 200 of the crew members.