- Pirates hijacked two commercial vessels carrying 22 Indian crew members off Yemen and Somalia this week, with the sailors reported safe so far, shipping ministry sources said on Friday.
- The Eritrea-flagged oil products tanker MT Sibu 1, carrying a crew of 20 including 16 Indians, was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden, around 30 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen, on Thursday.
- The Cameroon-flagged cargo ship M/V Lutuf, with six Indians among its 10-member crew, was hijacked off Somalia’s Puntland coast on Monday.
- External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that two foreign-flagged vessels were involved, one with 16 Indians and the other with six, and that all are reportedly safe.
- Six armed pirates seized control of MT Sibu 1 after an unauthorised vessel approached the tanker, while eight pirates operating from two skiffs boarded the M/V Lutuf, sources said.
- The M/V Lutuf, owned by Polar Movement Shipping, was carrying weapons, military hardware, communications gear and satellite equipment bound for a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu, Somalia, sources said.
- The crew of MT Sibu 1 includes, apart from the 16 Indians, a Syrian, a Sudanese and an Iraqi.
- The M/V Lutuf came under attack from a ship the pirates had seized in April, the MV Sward, and its crew includes a Georgian, a Turkish national and two Serbian security guards.
Two commercial vessels were hijacked off the coasts of Yemen and Somalia this week, with 22 Indian crew members aboard. The Eritrea-flagged MT Sibu 1 was seized in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday, while the Cameroon-flagged M/V Lutuf was taken off Puntland on Monday.125
MT Sibu 1, carrying a crew of 20, includes 16 Indians, a Syrian, a Sudanese, and an Iraqi. The vessel was attacked by six armed pirates who approached in an unauthorized vessel.7
The M/V Lutuf, with six Indians among its 10-member crew, was hijacked by eight pirates operating from two skiffs, reportedly armed with “AK-47-type weapons.” This attack was linked to a ship previously seized in April, the MV Sward, which had a diverse crew including a Georgian, a Turkish national, and two Serbian security guards.38
External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed, “We are in touch with authorities. All of them are reportedly safe.” The ships were reportedly carrying military hardware and communications gear destined for a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu, Somalia.46
The incidents highlight the ongoing threat of piracy in these waters, which have seen a resurgence in recent years, raising concerns for maritime security and the safety of crew members.
“The M/V Lutuf was carrying weapons and military hardware bound for a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu, while the MT Sibu 1 was attacked by six armed pirates after an unauthorized vessel approached. External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed all crew are reportedly safe and authorities are in touch.”
