YAOUNDE, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Rescue operation is underway after unknown gunmen attacked early Tuesday a Greek-owned oil tanker off Cameroon's Limbe port, security sources told Xinhua.
Cameroon's elite force, the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR), and the Cameroon Navy are conducting the rescue operation, according to security officials who asked not to be named.
The tanker was anchored off the Limbe port in southwestern Cameroon when it was attacked. Eight crew members were abducted, and a Greek mechanic was injured and is now "out of danger" after "intensive medical care", the sources said.
The gunmen were "probably" pirates known to be operating in the Gulf of Guinea. It is unclear if ransom has been demanded by the kidnappers, the sources added.
The vessel "Happy Lady" had 28 crew members on board. The abducted include five Greek nationals including the captain, two from the Philippines, and a Ukrainian.
