Six armed pirates seized an oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden while a separate gang hijacked a Turkey-bound cargo vessel off Puntland, reviving fears of a piracy resurgence in the Horn of Africa
Two commercial vessels carrying 22 Indian crew members combined were hijacked in separate incidents off Yemen and Somalia this week, officials confirmed Thursday, underscoring a renewed piracy threat along one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors.
In the first incident, six armed pirates boarded the Eritrea-flagged tanker MT Sibu 1 roughly 30 nautical miles off Yemen’s coast in the Gulf of Aden. The vessel’s 20-member crew included 16 Indians, one Syrian, one Sudanese and one Iraqi national; all were reported safe, per a Directorate of Maritime Administration report, though the vessel’s current status remains unconfirmed. The recruiting agency has been directed to file updates via the e-Navik marine casualty reporting system.
In the second incident, eight pirates reportedly linked to April’s hijacking of the MV Sward , seized the Cameroon-flagged cargo ship MV Lutuf on Monday, about 3.5 nautical miles off Marraya in Puntland’s Eyl district. Its 10-member crew included six Indians, one Turkish national, one Georgian and two Serbian security guards. The ship, owned by Polar Movement Shipping, was reportedly transporting weapons and satellite equipment bound for a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu. It has since been moved toward Puntland’s Dangoroyo district, according to a Somali official.
Neither vessel’s precise status has been independently verified, and Turkish authorities have not commented.
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