Two tankers with 22 Indians on board hijacked by pirates off Yemen, Somalia
Two commercial vessels carrying 22 Indian crew members have been hijacked by pirates off the coasts of Yemen and Somalia. The sailors are currently reported to be safe while the vessels remain under pirate control.
Why it matters
The hijacking of commercial vessels poses significant risks to international maritime security and the safety of global merchant sailors.
Two commercial vessels carrying 22 Indian crew members have been hijacked by armed pirates in separate incidents off Yemen and Somalia this week, with the sailors reported safe so far, according to a senior shipping ministry official. The Eritrea-flagged MT Sibu 1, carrying 16 Indians among 20 crew members, was seized in the Gulf of Aden on August 20, around 30 nautical miles off Yemen, while the Cameroon-flagged M/V LUTUF, with six Indians among its 10-member crew, was hijacked off Somalia's Puntland coast on August 17.The MT Sibu 1 was taken over by six armed pirates after an unauthorised vessel approached the tanker, while eight armed pirates operating from two skiffs boarded the M/V LUTUF off Puntland.
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