Pirates Seize Two Tankers Off Yemen and Somalia, 22 Indians Among Crew

Two commercial vessels have been seized by pirates in separate incidents off the coasts of Yemen and Somalia, with 22 Indian nationals among the crews caught up in the attacks.

The latest incident occurred on Thursday, August 20, when armed men boarded the tanker Sibu 1, also known as Seamull, in the Gulf of Aden and reportedly forced the vessel to change course towards Somalia.

According to maritime security agencies, six armed men boarded the tanker about 136 nautical miles east of Al Mukalla, Yemen, after the vessel issued a distress call.

The European Union's Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations both reported that the attackers had taken control of the vessel and were directing it towards Somalia.

16 Indians among crew of seized tanker

The Sibu 1 was carrying 20 crew members, including 16 Indians, according to India's Press Trust of India, citing a senior shipping ministry official.

The remaining crew members included nationals from Syria, Sudan and Iraq, while the nationality of another seafarer had not been confirmed.

Indian authorities said the Indian crew members were safe based on the latest information available.

The Eritrea-flagged oil products tanker had previously attracted attention after the United States sanctioned it in December 2025. It was identified as part of an alleged Iranian "shadow fleet" involved in transporting petroleum products through deceptive shipping practices.

Second vessel hijacked near Somalia

The latest seizure came just three days after another commercial vessel was hijacked near Somalia.

The Cameroon-flagged cargo ship Lutuf was reportedly seized on Monday, August 17, by eight gunmen. Puntland security officials said the attackers launched their operation from the MV Sward, a vessel that had itself been seized earlier this year.