2 ships hijacked off Yemen, Somalia; 22 Indians safe
Two commercial vessels carrying a total of 22 Indian nationals have been hijacked in separate pirate attacks off Yemen and Somalia, according to a senior official from the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways on Friday.
The official said the latest information indicated that all Indian crew members were safe.
In the first incident, the Eritrea-flagged oil products tanker MT Sibu 1, carrying 20 crew members, was seized by armed pirates in the Gulf of Aden on August 20. The vessel was reportedly hijacked about 30 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen.
The crew includes 16 Indians, along with nationals of Syria, Sudan and Iraq, while the nationality of one other seafarer has not yet been established. According to information provided by the vessel’s Recruitment and Placement Service Licence (RPSL) agency, SKS Krishi Marine Services (OPC) Private Limited, six armed pirates boarded the tanker and took control of the vessel.
The Shipping Ministry has directed the RPSL agency to file a detailed incident report and provide regular updates through the e-Navik online marine casualty reporting system.
In a separate incident on August 17, the Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel LUTUF was hijacked off the Puntland coast of Somalia. The ship had 10 crew members on board, including six Indian nationals.
According to the official, eight pirates armed with AK-47-type weapons approached the vessel in two skiffs and boarded it.
The crew initially moved to the vessel’s designated citadel, a secure area used during pirate attacks. However, the pirates managed to enter the citadel and later took the crew to the bridge. The vessel remains under the control of the pirates. No injuries among the crew have been reported so far.
The two incidents underline the continuing risks faced by commercial shipping and seafarers operating in waters around the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa, where pirate attacks have periodically threatened international maritime traffic.
