BOSASSO, Somalia, Aug 31, SPA -- Somali pirates aretaking a hijacked Malaysian tanker to their coastal base, wheregunmen are already holding six vessels for ransom, REUTERS quoted a localofficial as saying on Sunday. The Bunga Melati 5 was carrying 30,000 tonnes ofpetrochemicals to Singapore. Pirates from Somalia have hijacked at least 30 ships in thearea so far this year, making the waters off the Horn of Africanation the most dangerous in the world. "The Malaysian ship is being sailed towards Eyl whereanother six vessels are held," Abdulqadir Muse Yusuf, assistantminister for fisheries in the northern Puntland region, toldReuters. He accused villagers in Alula, Bargal and Eyl of providingthe pirates with supplies and said radio operators on the coastwere also helping the gangs. "The pirates are increasing dramatically in numbers and instrength," Yusuf said. The Bunga Melati 5, which is owned by Malaysian nationalcarrier MISC, had 36 Malaysians and five Filipinos onboard. MISC said the tanker had been travelling "within thevicinity" of a security corridor set up last week by amultinational anti-terrorism task force in response to the sharprise in attacks. MISC said coalition naval forces in the area had beenalerted but were unable to stop the hijacking because the safetyof the crew onboard the Malaysian ship was the priority. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/586245