Three Germans and a French citizen are being held in Somaliland
Four Europeans have been kidnapped from a yacht in the Gulf of Aden and are being held in the breakaway republic of Somaliland – the northern part of Somalia.
A german couple and a child are being held as well as the French skipper. There is no report of the location or condition of the yacht.
The incident occurred on Monday and contact with the captives is through an intermediary, who has reported that the child has fallen ill and may need medical treatment.
The country’s security minister told Associated Press journalists that it was launching a rescue attempt.
The French Superyacht Le Ponant made the headlines earlier this year when it was hijacked along with more than 20 crew. Since then the UN has authorised war ships from foreign nations to pursue pirates into Somalian territorial waters.
On Saturday, a Somali employee of the U.N. refugee agency was kidnapped outside the capital, Mogadishu.