Pirates have seized two US sailors, the captain and chief engineer, 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.
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.
Source: Pirates seize US sailors off Nigeria (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24657515#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa)