Pirates grab seven Indian fishing boats off Somalia

NEW DELHI - India said it is trying to trace the whereabouts of nearly 100 sailors on seven Indian vessels taken captive by Somali pirates off the African coast.

"The sailors in small trade boats, known as dhows, have been taken captive over the past few days and we are trying to find more about their fate," Captain M.M. Saggi, a shipping official, said from Mumbai.

"We are trying to contact all the owners of the missing vessels and find more about their identity," Saggi added.