Pirates Seize 2 Ships With 22 Indians On Board Off Yemen And Somalia Coasts
Pirates have reportedly seized two commercial tankers off Yemen and Somalia in separate incidents this week. The pirates have allegedly hijacked crew from multiple nationalities that includes at least 22 Indian nationals.
On August 20, one US-sanctioned vessel was seized in the Gulf of Aden after six armed men boarded the ship and forced it to change course towards Somalia, according to reports.
Eritrea-flagged oil products tanker M.T. Sibu 1, was carrying 16 Indians among its 20 crew members, when it was hijacked by six armed pirates in the Gulf of Aden, around 30 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen.
The crew comprises 16 Indian nationals, Syrian, Sudanese and Iraqi national, and all are reportedly safe. In a second incident, pirates seized the Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel M/V LUTUF off Somalia’s Puntland coast on Monday, carrying six Indian nationals among its 10-member crew.
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The ship was seized around 3.5 nautical miles off Marraya in Puntland’s Eyl district and was subsequently taken towards the Nugaal coast, with crew besides Indians included one Turkish national, one Georgian and two Serbian security guards.
