Two vessels seized by Somali pirates

Somali pirates are on the offensive again, after seizing two more ships. Forty-five crew members on board a British-flagged vessel and a Panamanian-registered ship were taken hostage on Monday.

Senior Somalian officials, have confirmed the reports and say the key to preventing pirate attacks is to strengthen the country's state government.

This vessel, St. James Park, is the first merchant ship to be hijacked in the area in the past six months. The UK-flagged ship sent a distress signal seeking help after it was attacked.

The call was picked up by a rescue center in Greece, which relayed the message to the International Maritime Bureau based in the UK.

There has not yet been any report of a rescue effort.

A Senior Somalian official says the fact that the ship is a chemical tanker could make things worse.

In this October 2009 file photo, showing the British registered tanker St. James Park at Tilbury, England, and made available Tuesday Dec. 29, 2009.(AP Photo/MANDATORY CREDIT Derek Lilley)