Pirates hijack two ships near Yemen-Somalia, 22 Indians onboard
Six armed pirates hijacked the ships about 30 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden.
Two commercial ships carrying a total of 22 Indian nationals have been hijacked by pirates in separate incidents near the coasts of Yemen and Somalia. The Directorate of Maritime Administration officials provided this information on Thursday. These incidents have once again highlighted the growing threat of piracy in the maritime region around the Horn of Africa.
According to a report by Hindustan Times, the oil product tanker M.T. Sibu 1, flagged under Eritrea, was hijacked by six armed pirates about 30 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden. The ship had a total of 20 crew members on board, including 16 Indian nationals.
According to a report prepared by the Directorate of Maritime Administration, all 20 crew members are reported to be safe. However, the latest status of the ship and its crew is awaited.
Besides the 16 Indians in the crew, there is one Syrian, one Sudanese, and one Iraqi national. The nationality of another sailor is yet to be confirmed.
The report states that the Recruitment and Placement Service License Agency has been asked to submit the incident report and subsequent regular updates through the e-Navik online marine casualty reporting system.
Sumit Kant Singh of SKS Krishiv Marine Services stated that their company had recruited four crew members of the ship and their information has been provided to the Directorate of Maritime Administration.
In the second incident, pirates seized the Cameroon-flagged cargo ship M/V LUTUF near the Puntland coast of Somalia on Monday.
According to the Associated Press, a Somali official reported that the ship's 10-member crew includes six Indian nationals.
The ship was seized about 3.5 nautical miles from Maraya in the Eyl district of Puntland and was then taken towards the Nugal coast. Besides the six Indians, the crew includes one Turkish national, one Georgian, and two Serbian security guards.
According to the official, the ship, owned by Polar Movement Shipping, was carrying weapons for a Turkish military training center located in Mogadishu. The ship also had communication and satellite equipment on board. It is reported that eight pirates seized the ship. It is believed that these pirates are members of the same group involved in the hijacking of M/V Sward in April. They took the ship towards the coast near Garmal in the Dangorayo district of Puntland.
Currently, the status of M/V LUTUF, its crew, and the cargo on board is unclear. There has been no immediate response from Turkish officials regarding this incident.