Pirates have hijacked a ship carrying eight Sri Lankan ship off the coast of Somalia, foreign media reported.

Foreign media said the Sri Lankan-flagged freighter had been boarded by over two dozen men.

It said the ship had sent out a distress call, turned off its tracking system and altered course for the Somali coast, giving rise to speculation it was hijacked off the coast of the Horn of Africa.

It said that if confirmed, the incident would be the first hijack of a commercial ship by Somali pirates since 2012.