Pirates off Nigeria’s coast kidnapped 15 sailors from a Turkish container ship, in a brazen and violent attack that was farther from shore than usual.

One sailor, an Azerbaijani citizen, was killed in the raid, while those kidnapped are from Turkey. Three sailors remain on the Mozart ship, which by Sunday evening was receiving assistance in Gabonese waters off central Africa.

The Liberian-flagged vessel was headed to Cape Town from Lagos when it was attacked in the Gulf of Guinea, 160 kilometers off Sao Tome island on Saturday, maritime reports showed.

Turkish media cited Istanbul-based ship owner Boden company as saying the owners and operators of the vessel were abducted at gunpoint. Boden was not immediately available.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s office said he was orchestrating officials in the “rescue of kidnapped ship personnel”. Erdogan spoke twice by phone with Yaren, who remained aboard after the attack, his office said.