Russian Embassy Says In Contact With Cameroonian Military On Kidnapped Sailors

The Russian embassy in Cameroon said Monday it was working with the West African nation's military to secure the release of the Russian citizens kidnapped from a commercial ship off its coast last week

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th August, 2019) The Russian embassy in Cameroon said Monday it was working with the West African nation's military to secure the release of the Russian citizens kidnapped from a commercial ship off its coast last week.

The Antigua-flagged MarMalaita freighter with a crew of 12 was raided by pirates while anchored near Douala late on Wednesday. MC-Schiffahrt, its German owner, said eight crew members were abducted.

Three of them are Russians.

"We are cooperating with the Cameroonian navy and the coordination center fighting piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. They are trying to get in touch with the kidnappers," a spokesperson for the embassy told Sputnik.

German media cited the Hamburg prosecutor's office as saying on Monday that four Filipinos and a Ukrainian were also abducted. The pirates are expected to ask for ransom but have not contacted the authorities yet.