Somali pirates have hijacked a German-owned tanker in the Gulf of Aden with 13 crew members aboard, a regional maritime official confirmed on Thursday.

Andrew Mwangura, the East Africa's Coordinator of Seafarers Assistance Program (SAP) said the Bahamas-flagged MV Longchamp was seized early Thursday with 12 Filipinos and one Indonesian.

"The German-owned LPG carrier was hijacked by Somali pirates this morning. The vessel has 13 crew members -- 12 Filipinos and one Indonesia," Mwangura told Xinhua by telephone.

Mwangura said the freighter, hijacked 0230 GMT on Thursday, was heading to Far East from Europe.

He said the vessel, built in 1990 and fully loaded with capacity of 3,200 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas is now en route to Somalia.

Shipping routes near Somalia have become increasingly dangerous due to the rising spread of piracy. Many countries have stationed military vessels in the area to provide protection for their nation's shippers.

The surge in attacks has prompted Western warships to establish a security corridor in the gulf patrolled by an international coalition of warships.

Piracy is rife off Somalia, which has been mired in anarchy since warlords overthrew dictator Siad Barre in 1991.

(Xinhua News Agency January 30, 2009)