By the CNN Wire Staff
(CNN) -- A Panama-flagged cargo ship was hijacked by pirates early Wednesday off the coast of Somalia, the European Union Naval Force said in a statement.
"In the early hours of 2 June it was reported by the owner of the MV QSM Dubai that a group of armed pirates had boarded the ship and taken control," EU NAVFOR said.
The USS Cole reported that it had seen a person on board the ship with a rocket-propelled grenade, the statement said. A coalition patrol aircraft was sent to investigate and reported the ship had been hijacked.
The QSM Dubai has a crew of 24, comprised of Egyptian, Pakistan, Bangladeshi and Ghanaian nationals, EU NAVFOR said. It was sailing from Brazil when the hijacking occurred.
