A tanker carrying oil products has been hijacked off Yemen by Somali pirates, marking the sixth seizure of a commercial vessel since April in a renewed wave of attacks across the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean, a Somali maritime security official said.
Six armed men seized the Eritrean-flagged M.T. Sibu 1 on Thursday, roughly 136 nautical miles (252 kilometers) east of al-Mukalla, Yemen, and steered it toward Somalia’s Puntland State coast, the official, who is familiar with the incident, told The Associated Press on Friday. He spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
- Advertisement -
The Sibu 1 is managed by the UAE-based Qatrat Alnada Almasi Ship Management. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned the company last year, alleging that the vessel was part of an Iranian “shadow fleet” used to move petroleum products in an effort to circumvent U.S. sanctions.
The tanker was carrying 20 crew members — 16 Indians, one Syrian, one Sudanese and one Iraqi. The nationality of one other crew member was not immediately available. Authorities had not disclosed the ship’s last port of departure or its planned destination.
The seizure occurred just three days after pirates captured the Lutuf, a Cameroon-flagged general cargo ship off Somalia. Maritime tracking reports said 10 people were aboard, including six Indians, one Turkish national, one Georgian national and two Serbian security guards.
The Sibu 1 became the sixth commercial vessel taken by Somali pirates since April 21, when the Palau-flagged tanker Honor 25 was seized off Somalia. Subsequent attacks targeted the Sward on April 26, the Eureka on May 2, the Asana on July 17 and the Lutuf on Aug. 17.
The incidents have extended well beyond Somalia’s shoreline. Pirates seized the Eureka while it was anchored off Yemen and captured the Asana about 65 nautical miles (120 kilometers) southwest of al-Mukalla. The International Maritime Bureau reported 38 piracy and armed robbery incidents worldwide in the first half of 2026, including five hijackings. Somali pirates were responsible for 94% of crew members taken hostage during that period, the bureau said.
Puntland State’s Security Ministry said Friday that its investigation pointed to forces outside the regional government’s control as responsible for the piracy resurgence, though it did not name a group or country. The allegation could not be independently verified.
Puntland State said it had sent security forces to its coastline and condemned airstrikes it said hit fishing boats and property near coastal communities where hijacked vessels were being held. The ministry called on the countries involved to explain strikes near Garacad on Aug. 18 and Aug. 20.
The ministry did not say who carried out the strikes, and the claims could not be independently confirmed.
