BRUSSELS (Reuters) – An armed gang attacked a dredger offshore from the Central African country of Cameroon late on Sunday and kidnapped two crew members, the Belgian ship owners said.

In a brief statement, Belgian shipping group Jan De Nul Group said the abducted men were from Croatia and the Philippines.

A Jan De Nul spokesman said he had no news regarding the demands of the gang, such as whether it was seeking a ransom.

The attack on the Amerigo Vespucci took place outside the Atlantic port of Douala, where the dredger has been maintaining and deepening the access channel since June 2009.

Jan De Nul said it was reassessing the safety of working off Cameroon for the crew, which would normally number 20.

Croatia's foreign ministery confirmed a Croatian had been kidnapped.

"We are in contact with the man's family here," a ministry spokesman said. "The Belgian shipper is a respectable company and we believe this affair will end with a positive outcome."