US-bound oil tanker hijacked off Oman

SINGAPORE / ATHENS - Armed pirates seized a US-bound oil tanker carrying Kuwaiti crude off the coast of Oman, the ship's Greek manager said on Wednesday, in an area where Somali seaborne gangs operate.

The Very Large Crude Carrier, the Irene SL, was carrying about 2 million barrels of crude oil, worth roughly $200 million at market prices.

"This morning the vessel was attacked by armed men," Greece-based company Enesel said in a statement sent to Reuters, confirming earlier reports from shipbrokers. "For the moment there is no communication with the vessel."