Somali pirates have hijacked a Greek-owned vessel with 22 crew members on board and are taking the ship toward Somalia.

The NATO Shipping Center says a vessel was hijacked Monday in the western Gulf of Aden.

Andrew Mwangura, a regional piracy expert, identifies the ship as the MT Liquid Velvet, a chemical tanker.

The ship is owned by Athens-based Elmira Tankers. The company has not responded to a VOA request for comment.

Experts have warned that pirate attacks off Somalia are likely to increase now that the regional monsoon season has ended.

The pirates have made hundreds of millions of dollars hijacking ships for ransom in recent years.

The International Maritime Bureau says the pirates are currently holding 13 ships with 249 hostages.