Two vessels with 22 Indians on board hijacked by pirates near Yemen, Somalia

Two commercial vessels carrying a total of 22 Indian nationals have been hijacked in separate incidents off Yemen and Somalia, officials said Thursday, highlighting a renewed piracy threat in waters off the Horn of Africa.

The Eritrea-flagged oil products tanker M.T. Sibu 1, carrying 16 Indians among its 20 crew members, was hijacked by six armed pirates in the Gulf of Aden, around 30 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen.

Vessel carrying 16 Indians hijacked in Yemen

All 20 crew members were reported safe, according to a report prepared by the Directorate of Maritime Administration, although the latest status of the vessel and crew was awaited.

The crew comprises 16 Indian nationals, one Syrian, one Sudanese and one Iraqi national, while the nationality of one seafarer has not yet been confirmed.

The Recruitment and Placement Service Licence agency has been asked to submit an incident report and subsequent periodic updates through the e-Navik online marine casualty reporting system, the report said.

Sumit Kant Singh of SKS Krishiv Marine Services said his company had recruited four of the crew members and provided their details to the Directorate of Maritime Administration.

Vessel with 6 Indians hijacked in Somalia

In the second incident, pirates seized the Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel M/V LUTUF off Somalia’s Puntland coast on Monday, carrying six Indian nationals among its 10-member crew, according to a Somali official cited by the Associated Press. The ship was seized around 3.5 nautical miles off Marraya in Puntland’s Eyl district and was subsequently taken towards the Nugaal coast, the official said. The crew also included one Turkish national, one Georgian and two Serbian security guards.

The vessel, owned by Polar Movement Shipping, was carrying weapons bound for a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu, as well as communications and satellite equipment, the official said.

Eight pirates, believed to be members of a group previously involved in the hijacking of the M/V Sward in April, took the vessel towards the coast near Garmaal in Puntland’s Dangoroyo district, he said.

The status of the LUTUF, its crew and its cargo was not immediately clear. Turkish authorities had not immediately commented on the incident.