Pirates Board Oil Tanker Near Yemen, Redirect It Toward Somalia
Theo Al Jazeera
An oil tanker was boarded by six armed individuals off Yemen and redirected toward Somalia, according to UKMTO. The incident highlights a resurgence of Somali piracy since April, with five cargo ships currently held.
An oil tanker was boarded and taken under control by six armed individuals off the coast of Yemen, after which it was redirected toward Somalia, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
UKMTO said it received a report on July 24 (local time) of an incident approximately 136 nautical miles (252 km) east of Yemen's Al Mukalla city. The oil tanker, named Seamull and also known as SIBU 1, sent a distress signal while heading west in the Gulf of Aden when it was approached by an unknown vessel.
“UKMTO has received confirmation that the oil tanker has been boarded by six armed persons and they are now in control of the vessel, altering course towards Somalia,” the UKMTO statement said. Authorities are investigating the incident, and ships are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO.
The maritime monitoring agency provided no further details and did not confirm whether the tanker and its crew were safe.
The seizure of SIBU 1 occurred in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes – the Gulf of Aden, which connects to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, the fastest maritime route between Asia and Europe. About 12-15% of global trade value and 30% of the world's container traffic pass through this canal each year.
Piracy off the Somali coast was rampant in the 2000s, peaking in 2011 before being curbed by international naval operations and new security measures adopted by commercial vessels. However, since April of this year, Somali piracy has seen a marked resurgence after more than a decade of near-quiet.
Five cargo ships are currently being held, including an oil tanker hijacked in July about 26 nautical miles (48 km) from Yemen's Hadramout province. Between 2005 and 2012, Somali pirates were blamed for more than 1,000 attacks, netting around $400 million in ransoms, which led to an international crackdown that nearly eradicated piracy by 2013.
Analysts suggest that international naval forces are stretched thin due to conflicts in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, pushing many commercial vessels to reroute closer to Somali waters. Combined with ongoing instability in the East African nation, these factors have raised new concerns about piracy in the region.
