Somali Pirates Seize Sanctioned Oil Tanker Off Yemen
- On Thursday, six armed pirates hijacked the Eritrean-flagged oil tanker Sibu about 136 nautical miles east of al-Mukalla, Yemen, diverting it toward Somalia's Puntland coast. The vessel is sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department for allegedly belonging to an Iranian "shadow fleet."
- This incident marks at least the 13th vessel attacked this year off Somalia or in the Gulf of Aden, according to the International Maritime Bureau. Only five such attacks occurred throughout 2025, signaling a dramatic resurgence in piracy.
- The Sibu carried 20 crew members, including 16 Indians, one Syrian, one Sudanese, and one Iraqi. Somali pirates accounted for 94% of crew members taken hostage during the first half of 2026, the International Maritime Bureau reported.
- Puntland's Security Ministry stated Friday that forces beyond their control are behind the piracy surge, while condemning airstrikes near Garacad on Aug. 18 and Aug. 20 that allegedly struck fishing vessels and property where hijacked ships were held.
- Naval assets previously focused on piracy have been diverted to the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea to counter Iran and its Houthi allies. Timothy Walker, senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria, said piracy "was never really fully eradicated.
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As the coalition naval forces depart for the Strait of Hormuz, Somali pirates run rampant again, hijacking at least six merchant ships in four months. An Eritrean-flagged oil tanker was recently hijacked by Somali pirates off the coast of Yemen. Including this incident, hijackings of merchant ships by armed pirates are occurring in succession in the waters off Somalia and Yemen, as well as in the Gulf of Aden. Last April
Six merchant ships have been hijacked by Somali pirates since April and remain trapped, reports the European naval mission. There are over eighty crew members on board those six ships. Experts see a connection to the war surrounding Iran, which is putting maritime security in the region under pressure.
By avoiding commercial maritime transport along the Bab-Mandeb Strait and Red Sea routes, vessels choose to cross the Somali coasts to surround the African continent
Somali Piracy Hits Highest Level in Over a Decade
MOGADISHU (VINnews) — Somali pirates have seized six commercial vessels since April, the highest level of such activity in more than a decade, with two ships taken in a four-day span this month. Armed men boarded the Cameroon-flagged cargo ship Lutuf on Aug. 17 about 3.5 nautical miles off the Puntland coast near Eyl. The […]
Surging Somali Pirates Seize Another Cargo Ship off the Coast of Yemen, in the Sixth Vessel Hijacking Since April * The Gateway Pundit * by Paul Serran
This latest attack is the second in just four days. The post Surging Somali Pirates Seize Another Cargo Ship off the Coast of Yemen, in the Sixth Vessel Hijacking Since April appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Piracy off the coast of Yemen is increasing again. Somali pirates have now hijacked another oil tanker with 20 crew members.
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