Sana'a, Yemen - Somali pirates hijacked a Yemeni tugboat in the Indian Ocean and held its seven-member crew hostage on Sunday, Yemen's Interior Ministry reported.

Armed pirates took over the al-Ghaith boat with seven Yemeni sailors on board and took it to an unknown destination, the ministry said in a statement posted on its website.

No further details were immediately available.

Shipping routes off Somalia have become increasingly dangerous in recent months as Somalia descends further into chaos and unrest.

In 2008, pirates seized more than 200 ships off the Somali coast. Dozens of ships have been released only after owners paid tens of millions of dollars in ransom. dpa