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| Nigeria pirate attack: US sailors seized | Nigeria pirate attack: US sailors seized |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Pirates have seized two US sailors from an oil supply ship off the coast of Nigeria, officials say. | Pirates have seized two US sailors from an oil supply ship off the coast of Nigeria, officials say. |
| The captain and chief engineer of the US-flagged C-Retriever were taken on Wednesday by armed men who stormed the boat, they said. | |
| There has been a recent surge in pirate attacks off the West African coast. | There has been a recent surge in pirate attacks off the West African coast. |
| The crew are normally freed unharmed after any oil on board the ships is stolen, unlike in East Africa, where sailors are held for ransom. | The crew are normally freed unharmed after any oil on board the ships is stolen, unlike in East Africa, where sailors are held for ransom. |
| However, there have also been numerous kidnappings of foreign oil workers and wealthy Nigerians, especially in the oil-producing Niger Delta region. | |
| They have often been held until a ransom payment is made. | |
| The seizure of the two US sailors has been reported by security sources and unnamed US defence officials but it has not yet been officially confirmed. |