Pirates seize two vessels carrying 22 Indian crew off Yemen and Somalia
Indian shipping ministry confirms all crew members remain safe after separate hijackings of an oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden and a cargo ship off Puntland.
New Delhi2 min read
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Two commercial vessels carrying a total of 22 Indian nationals were hijacked by pirates in separate incidents off Yemen and Somalia, a senior official in India's shipping ministry said on Friday.
The Indian crew members on both ships are safe, according to the latest information available to the ministry.
An Eritrea-flagged oil products tanker, MT Sibu 1, with 20 crew members including 16 Indians, was seized by armed pirates in the Gulf of Aden around 30 nautical miles off the Yemen coast on August 20. Six armed pirates boarded the vessel and took control, the official told PTI.
The recruitment agency for the crew, S K S Krishi Marine Services, reported the incident. The ministry has directed the agency to file updates through the e-Navik marine casualty reporting system.
The second vessel, a Cameroon-flagged cargo ship named LUTUF with 10 crew members including six Indians, was hijacked off Somalia's Puntland coast on August 17. Eight pirates armed with AK-47-type weapons operating from two skiffs boarded the ship about three and a half nautical miles off Marraya in Puntland's Eyl district.
Somali officials said the LUTUF was carrying Turkish weapons bound for a military training facility in Mogadishu, along with communications and satellite equipment. The ship was taken toward the Nugaal coast. Turkish helicopters and drones later monitored the area.
These incidents mark a rise in Somali pirate activity. The LUTUF seizure is the second successful hijacking in four days during the southwest monsoon season, when rough seas usually deter such attacks.
MT Sibu 1, also known as Seamull, had been under U.S. sanctions for allegedly transporting Iranian petroleum products as part of a shadow fleet. The crew managed to change the ship's AIS destination to a distress message before losing control.
India's shipping ministry is coordinating with relevant agencies to secure the release of the vessels and ensure the safety of the Indian seafarers. The incidents highlight ongoing risks to commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia, routes critical for global oil and cargo traffic.
