Somali pirates hijacked three ships in just two days, taking a small Yemeni boat, a Taiwanese fishing vessel and a British cargo ship.

The Taiwanese ship Win Far 161 and the British cargo ship Malaspina Castle were hijacked Monday near an island in the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, according to reports from news agencies.

There are 30 crew members, including 17 Filipinos, six Indonesians, five Chinese and two Taiwanese on the Win Far 161 fishing ship.

The 35,000-ton British-owned bulk carrier was hijacked early Monday in the Gulf of Aden, the numbers were not confirmed, officials said. A small Yemeni boat was also hijacked in the Indian Ocean Sunday.

The armed Somali pirates seized several European-owned tankers in recent months. The pirates typically use speed boats launched from mother ship. They take captured vessels to remote coastal village bases in Somalia, where they are held in anticipation of sizeable ransom payment.

Last year, more than 40 ships and 800 crew members were hijacked off the coast of East Africa.

The international community has been searching for ways to cub frequent hijackings of cargo ships.

Somalia