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Somali pirates hijacked a Philippines-managed bulk carrier with 21 sailors aboard yesterday, a maritime watchdog said.

Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau's (IMB) piracy reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur, told AFP pirates boarded the vessel at 0344 GMT in the notorious Gulf of Aden.

"The ship was sailing from the Middle East to Asia," he said. Last week Somali pirates seized a Greek tanker and separately attacked a World Food Programme-chartered ship.

According to the IMB, 73 ships have been attacked off Somalia since January 11 of which are still being held for ransom. Pirates are holding more than 200 crewmembers.

The Philippines said yesterday it supported establishing a coalition of naval forces off Somalia to prevent the hijacking of foreign vessels, many of which have Filipino crews. - News Source