Two Vessels With 22 Indians Hijacked by Pirates Near Yemen and Somalia
· World · Hindustan Times, NDTV, Indian Express
Two commercial vessels carrying a total of 22 Indian nationals have been hijacked in separate pirate attacks off the coasts of Yemen and Somalia. In the first incident, the Eritrea-flagged oil products tanker M.T. Sibu 1 was seized by six armed pirates in the Gulf of Aden about 30 nautical miles off Yemen, carrying 16 Indian crew members among its 20 personnel. The Directorate of Maritime Administration reported that all 20 crew members are safe, though the exact current status of the vessel remains awaited. In the second incident, pirates seized the Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel M/V LUTUF off Somalia’s Puntland coast, carrying six Indian nationals among its 10-member crew. The LUTUF was owned by Polar Movement Shipping and was transporting weapons, communications, and satellite equipment bound for a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu.
Why it matters
The seizures threaten Indian maritime personnel operating in the Horn of Africa and underscore a renewed piracy threat in vital shipping lanes off Yemen and Somalia.
Read the original report — Hindustan Times
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