Nairobi, Mogadishu - Pirates on Wednesday seized a Greek cargo ship some 400 nautical miles north-east of the Seychelles, a spokesman for the European anti-piracy mission Atalanta said.

The Marshall Islands-flagged MV Filitsa was carrying three Greek and 19 Filipino crew, according to Atalanta. The vessel, which had been en route to the South African port of Durban, was now sailing in a northerly direction.

The hijacking comes two days after pirates attacked an oil tanker in the area, but without managing to capture the vessel. The incident took place 1,000 nautical miles from the coast of Somalia - a record distance for the pirates who have moved further out to sea since the end of last year.

International warships patrolling the Gulf of Aden, the original "pirate's nest," have largely thwarted the operations of pirates. (dpa)