A Chinese fishing boat, named Tianyu No. 8, was seized by force by a group of unidentified persons at around 2 a.m. Beijing time Friday (GMT1800 Thursday) when it was fishing off the Kenya coast, a source with the Ministry of Transport said in Beijing.

The source told Xinhua that the abductors demanded the Chinese fishing boat sail towards the coastal area off southern Somalia.

Onboard the abducted ship of Tianjin Ocean Fishing Company were 24 fishers. They were 16 Chinese, including one from China's Taiwan province, one Japanese, three Filipinos and four Vietnamese.

According to Andrew Mwangura, coordinator of the Mombasa-based East African Seafarers' Association, the hijacking was conducted by pirates that armed with grenade launchers and automatic weapons.

"Tianyu No. 8" was attacked on the Kenyan waters probably near Lamu in eastern Kenya, Mwangura told Xinhua by telephone, "but we have not established the motive of the attack since it's very rare for Somali pirates to launch attacks on Kenyan waters."

This was hours after a Russian-operated cargo ship off the coast of Somalia escaped pirates who attacked it with grenade launchers and machine guns, sparking a fire on board.

The MOT source added that the ministry was asking related departments to help deal with the incident in coordination with China's Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Agriculture.

(Xinhua News Agency November 14, 2008)