Armed pirates hijacked the Eritrea-flagged oil tanker M.T. Sibu 1 in the Gulf of Aden, approximately 30 nautical miles off the Yemeni coast.
The M.T. Sibu 1 carries a crew of 20, including 16 Indian nationals who have been reported safe by the Directorate of Maritime Administration.
In a separate incident, eight pirates seized the Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel M/V LUTUF carrying six Indian crew members off Puntland, Somalia.
22 Indian Sailors Captive After Pirates Hijack Two Ships Off Yemen, Somalia
Armed pirates have hijacked two commercial vessels, M.T. Sibu 1 and M/V LUTUF, carrying 22 Indian crew members off the coasts of Yemen and Somalia.
Summary
Armed pirates captured two commercial ships carrying 22 Indian citizens in separate incidents near the Yemeni and Somali coasts. The twin hijackings highlight a resurgent piracy threat in waters off the Horn of Africa. Authorities confirmed the attacks on Thursday.
Tanker Hijacked Off Yemen
Six armed pirates hijacked the Eritrea-flagged oil products tanker M.T. Sibu 1 in the Gulf of Aden, approximately 30 nautical miles off the Yemeni coast.
The vessel carries a crew of 20, comprising 16 Indians, one Syrian, one Sudanese, one Iraqi and one unconfirmed national. The Directorate of Maritime Administration reported all crew members safe in its report, though officials await the latest status of the vessel and crew.
The Directorate of Maritime Administration directed the Recruitment and Placement Service Licence agency to submit an incident report and subsequent periodic updates through the e-Navik online marine casualty reporting system.
Sumit Kant Singh of SKS Krishiv Marine Services confirmed his company recruited four of the crew members and provided their details to the Directorate of Maritime Administration.
Weapons Vessel Seized
In a second incident eight pirates seized the Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel M/V LUTUF on Monday. The pirates captured the ship 3.5 nautical miles off Marraya in Puntland's Eyl district and subsequently took it towards the Nugaal coast, a Somali official told the Associated Press.
The 10-member crew includes six Indians, one Turkish national, one Georgian and two Serbian security guards. Polar Movement Shipping owns the vessel, which carried communications and satellite equipment alongside weapons bound for a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu, the official said.
Officials believe the pirates belong to a group that hijacked the M/V Sward in April. The attackers took the vessel towards the coast near Garmaal in Puntland's Dangoroyo district.
The status of the M/V LUTUF, its crew and its cargo remains unclear. Turkish authorities have not commented on the incident.
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