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Two tankers with 22 Indians on board hijacked by armed pirates off Yemen, Somalia
The Times of India • • world
Key Points:
- Two commercial vessels carrying a total of 22 Indian crew members were hijacked by armed pirates off Yemen and Somalia this week, with all crew reported safe and no injuries.
- The Eritrea-flagged MT Sibu 1, with 16 Indian crew among 20 members, was seized on August 20 in the Gulf of Aden near Yemen by six armed pirates after an unauthorized vessel approached.
- The Cameroon-flagged M/V LUTUF, carrying six Indians among 10 crew members, was hijacked on August 17 off Somalia's Puntland coast by eight armed pirates, who later steered the vessel towards Somalia's Nugaal coast.
- Both vessels remain under pirate control, and the hijackers are suspected of involvement in previous piracy incidents; the M/V LUTUF was carrying Turkish military equipment bound for Mogadishu.
- These incidents highlight increased security risks for Indian seafarers in the region amid ongoing piracy threats and conflicts, with India being a major global supplier of maritime labor.
