Two commercial vessels have been seized in separate incidents off Yemen and Somalia, with 22 Indian nationals among the crew members.
Two commercial vessels carrying a total of 22 Indian nationals have been seized in separate suspected pirate attacks in waters off Yemen and Somalia.
The Sibu 1, an oil tanker sailing under the Eritrean flag, was reportedly seized by six armed pirates in the Gulf of Aden, about 30 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen, according to the Hindustan Times.
The vessel had 20 crew members on board, all of whom are reported to be safe. Sixteen are Indian nationals, while the others are from Syria, Sudan and Iraq. The nationality of one crew member has not yet been confirmed.
Further information about the vessel’s current location and the status of its crew is expected.
In a separate incident, pirates reportedly seized the Lutuv, a cargo vessel sailing under the Cameroonian flag, off Puntland in Somalia.
Six of the vessel’s 10 crew members are Indian nationals. The ship was seized about 3.5 nautical miles from the settlement of Marayya and was reportedly taken towards the Nugaal coast.
The incidents come amid renewed concerns over maritime security in waters around Somalia, where pirate attacks have persisted despite international efforts to curb piracy.
In May 2026, pirates reportedly hijacked an oil tanker carrying petroleum products off Somalia’s north-eastern coast. The vessel had been travelling from Berbera to Mogadishu before it was seized and redirected towards the Somali coast.
A separate incident was reported in late April, when unidentified attackers targeted a cargo vessel about 11km off the Somali coast. The ship was diverted into Somali territorial waters and was subsequently seized.
The latest incidents are likely to raise further concerns for commercial shipping operating through the Gulf of Aden and waters off the Horn of Africa, key routes connecting the Indian Ocean with the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
