Pirates have attacked an oil tanker¹ off the coast of west Africa, killing² a Ukrainian seaman³, the commander of Benin's naval⁴ forces says.

贝宁海军司令官称，一艘油轮在西非海岸遭海盗袭击，一名乌克兰水手遇害。

Cdr Fernand Maxime Ahoyo says the Cancale Star's chief engineer was killed and one other crewman wounded.

The pirates attacked the vessel⁵ some 18 nautical⁶ miles (33km) off the coast of Benin, in what correspondents say is the country's first such attack.

One pirate was overpowered by the crew, but the others managed to escape.

Benin-based journalist Esther Tola told the BBC that the pirates were thought to be from Nigeria.

The commander said naval forces had rescued the crew from the tanker and brought them into port.

There were 24 seamen⁷ of different nationalities on board the Monrovia-flagged vessel, including Filipinos, Lithuanians and Ukranians, Cdr Ahoyo told AFP news agency.

Western front

The International Maritime⁸ Bureau（国际海事局） (IMB) says piracy⁹ in the waters of west Africa is on the rise, with 100 such incidents recorded last year.

The IMB has previously¹⁰ warned of heightened piracy risks along shipping¹¹ routes in Nigeria and Ghana（迦纳）, to the east and west of Benin.

It said attacks usually took place while ships were at anchor or close to coastal¹² areas, unlike in eastern Africa, where Somali pirates strike ships hundreds of miles out to sea.

More than 10 ships and 200 hostages are currently being held by pirates operating in waters off Somalia.

An international force of about 40 warships¹³ has been stationed around the Gulf¹⁴ of Aden, in an effort to clamp down on（进行压制） piracy in some the world's busiest shipping lanes.