Nairobi - Pirates have hijacked a Maltese-flagged merchant vessel off the coast of Somalia, the European Union's anti-piracy taskforce said on Wednesday.

The MV OLIB G was seized while it was sailing west in the internationally recommended transit corridor through the Gulf of Aden, EU NAVFOR said.

The vessel has 18 crew members, 15 Georgians and 3 Turks.

"The USS Princeton warship of Task Force 151 launched its helicopter. The helicopter was able to identify two pirates on board MV OLIB G," EU NAVFOR said in a statement.

Heavy seas in the last few months have seen a sharp decline in the number of piracy attacks off the Horn of Africa nation.