Athens  - A band of armed pirates shot dead a Greek captain off the coast of Cameroon over the weekend, the latest in a series of attacks on ships in African waters, the Greek Ministry of Merchant Marine said Monday.

The attack against the two Cameroon-flagged fishing trawlers took place on Saturday off Douala, southern Cameroon, the ministry said.

The pirates, aboard at least two speed boats, reportedly seized one of the vessels and tried to direct it towards international waters when the second vessel began to chase them down.

Greek state television said the pirates then opened fire on the second vessel after shooting dead the captain of the seized trawler.

The pirates ended up releasing the crew members of both ships after making off with an undisclosed amount of cash, which they found onboard.

Shipping routes off the coasts of eastern and western Africa have become increasingly dangerous in recent months, especially in the Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Guinea, off the coast of Cameroon and Nigeria.

Dozens of ships seized by pirates have been eventually released after owners end up paying tens of millions of dollars in ransom. (dpa)