Somali Pirates Hijack Oil Tanker Off Yemen, Steer It Toward Somalia

Somali pirates hijacked an oil tanker off the coast of Yemen and steered it toward Somalia, escalating maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Aden.

“Unidentified attackers hijacked an oil tanker on Saturday off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden and directed it towards Somalia, the Yemeni coast guard said”

Aaj English TV

Yemen’s Coast Guard said it was attempting to recover the tanker “M/T Eureka,” which it said was seized off Yemen’s southeastern Shabwa province as armed assailants boarded and took control of the vessel.

Aaj English TV

Al Jazeera reported that the coast guard said the attackers “boarded, took control of it, then steered it… in the direction of the Somali coast,” and said the “location of the tanker has been determined” while “work is under way to monitor it and take the necessary measures in an attempt to recover it and ensure the safety of its crew.”

The BBC said the tanker MT Eureka was overrun by pirates in the Gulf of Aden near the port of Qana, and that the pirates departed a remote coastal area near the seaside town of Qandala.

The BBC also reported that MT Eureka was sailing on the flag of the west African nation of Togo prior to the hijacking and that it was overrun by the gunmen at 5:00 AM local time (03:00 BST).

Multiple outlets tied the incident to a wider pattern of threats across the region, including a separate UKMTO report of “armed persons” on a “skiff” approaching a bulk carrier near Al-Mukala, Yemen.

The MT Eureka seizure was described as part of a short sequence of tanker hijackings in the Gulf of Aden and near Somalia, with outlets placing it within days of another incident.

The BBC said it marked the second hijacking of an oil tanker in the area in a 10-day period, following the hijacking of Honor 25 by Somali pirates on April 22.

Al Jazeera

The BBC reported that Honor 25 was carrying 18,500 barrels of oil bound for Mogadishu, and that MT Eureka was sailing on the flag of the west African nation of Togo prior to the hijacking.

Somali Guardian said the incident came just days after another oil tanker, Honor 25, was hijacked on April 22 while transporting 18,500 barrels of oil bound for Mogadishu, and said it marked the second such seizure in roughly 10 days and the fourth successful hijacking attributed to pirates in the region over a two-week span.

Al Jazeera also described the event as a hijacking off Yemen’s Shabwa province in the Gulf of Aden and said the tanker was directed toward Somalia.

Garowe Online said Yemeni authorities told it that the vessel, identified as M/T EUREKA, was seized near the coast of Shabwa province, and said officials and maritime sources described it as the fourth ship hijacked by Somali pirates in the past two weeks.

Outlets described specific departure points and distances tied to the hijacking, pointing to a network operating along Yemen and Somalia’s maritime approaches.

The BBC said the pirates departed a remote coastal area near the seaside town of Qandala, which sits on the Gulf of Aden, and that the tanker was overrun at 5:00 AM local time (03:00 BST) while navigating waters near the vicinity of Qana.

Somali Guardian said the attackers set out from a remote coastal zone near the town of Qandala, and it described the ship as ambushed by pirates operating in the Gulf of Aden close to the port area of Qana.

It also reported that security officials indicated some armed groups involved in recent incidents were operating from areas near the fishing town of Caluula (Alula), located approximately 209 kilometres (130 miles) from the departure point linked to the MT Eureka seizure.

The BBC similarly said Caluula is 209km (130 miles) from where hijackers departed to seize the MT Eureka, and it described a separate incident in which “armed persons” on a “skiff” approached a bulk carrier near Al-Mukala, Yemen.

UNN likewise said the pirates left a remote coastal area near the seaside town of Kandala, located on the shores of the Gulf of Aden, and described it as the second seizure of an oil tanker in the area in 10 days following Honor 25 on April 22.

Several reports connected the renewed wave of piracy to shifting maritime security priorities and to regional conflict dynamics affecting naval patrols.

Al Jazeera said the attack was at least the fourth to take place near Somalia in recent weeks, and it described pirate activity as rising in an apparent reaction to the war in Iran.

BBC

It reported that officials say pirates have become emboldened as naval forces patrolling the Red Sea area are distracted by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and civilian maritime routes diverted.

The report added that the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) raised the piracy threat level along the Somali coast to “substantial” and warned vessels to “transit with caution.”

The BBC said Somali piracy, which was on the decline since 2011, has surged again since late 2023, when Houthi rebels began attacking ships in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea, forcing international navies to tackle the Houthi threat and creating a security lapse.

The BBC also quoted a security official from the semi-autonomous Puntland region saying, “The on-going crisis with the pirates is much worse than many realize. There are increasing movements (of armed groups) all over the coast.”

The hijacking’s human impact was reflected in accounts of hostage crews and appeals for intervention, alongside uncertainty about the tanker’s current status.

“- Published Somali pirates have hijacked an oil tanker off the coast of Yemen, according to multiple Somali security officials that spoke with the BBC”

BBC

Hiiraan Online reported that the family of an Indonesian captain held by Somali pirates appealed for urgent government intervention after the hijacking of an oil tanker off Somalia’s coast last week, naming Ashari Samadikun, 33, as among 17 crew members taken hostage when the UAE-flagged tanker Honour 25 was seized by armed men about 30 nautical miles offshore.

BBC

It said Ashari’s mother, Siti Aminah, spoke from their home in Gowa regency and made an emotional plea to Indonesian authorities, saying, “I beg President Prabowo to help my son, who has been held by Somali pirates for several days.”

Hiiraan Online also quoted Ashari’s wife, Santi Sanaya, saying her last contact with him was a WhatsApp voice message sent on April 21, shortly before the attack, and that “He told me the ship was under attack by pirates. After that, it became very difficult to reach him,”.

It reported that negotiations were reportedly ongoing between the shipping company and the pirates, but that there had been no official confirmation on the outcome, and it said the tanker was currently anchored near the northeastern Somali coast between Xaafun and Bander Beyla.

Al Jazeera said Yemen’s coastguard was working with international partners and relevant authorities in the Gulf of Aden to recover the tanker and ensure the safety of the crew, but cautioned that its capabilities are limited due to Yemen’s dire economic situation.