Egypt confirms oil tanker hijacked off Yemen coast, taken to Somalia
“Egypt is closely monitoring the hijacking of the tanker M/T Eureka from Yemeni territorial waters, which was taken to Somali territorial waters,” the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Hussien ElkabanyTuesday May 12, 2026
Egypt said Monday that an oil tanker carrying eight Egyptian sailors was seized off Yemen’s coast and transported to Somalia, deepening concerns over a renewed spike in maritime insecurity in the region.
- Advertisement -
“Egypt is closely monitoring the hijacking of the tanker M/T Eureka from Yemeni territorial waters, which was taken to Somali territorial waters,” the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty had directed Egypt’s embassy in Mogadishu to closely follow the situation of the eight Egyptian sailors aboard the vessel and to press for their rapid release.
Abdelatty also instructed the embassy to remain in contact “at the highest level” with Somali authorities to help safeguard the sailors’ security and well-being.
The announcement followed a statement from Yemeni authorities days earlier saying that a vessel had been hijacked by pirates on May 2 off the coast of Shabwa Governorate in southwestern Yemen, with 12 Egyptian and Indian sailors on board.
On Sunday, the wife of one of the Egyptian sailors aboard the seized tanker called for the crew’s release, saying the pirates had demanded ransom in exchange for freeing them.
Piracy off Somalia was widespread between 2008 and 2018 before easing for several years, then resurfacing in late 2023 amid mounting regional tensions.
Writing by Rasa Evrensel in Istanbul
