Hijacked Oil Tanker Heads to Somalia Off Yemen Coast

Yemen’s Coast Guard Reports Hijacking of Oil Tanker Off Somali Coast

A Yemeni oil tanker, the M/T Eureka, was hijacked off the coast of Shabwa province in southeastern Yemen on Saturday. The vessel was seized by armed assailants who boarded and took control of the ship. According to the coast guard, the hijackers are now heading towards Somalia.

This incident is part of a recent surge in pirate activity near the Somali coast. In recent weeks, at least three vessels have been hijacked in the area. The World Bank estimates that piracy costs the global economy approximately $18 billion annually.

The Yemeni Coast Guard has stated that it is working with international partners and relevant authorities to recover the tanker and ensure the safety of its crew. However, the coast guard noted that its capabilities are limited due to Yemen’s economic situation.

Pirate activity in the region has increased since the conflict in Iran began in February. The UKMTO has raised the piracy threat level along the Somali coast to “substantial” and warned vessels to exercise caution when transiting the area.

The European Union’s naval forces patrolling the region have stated that the conflict in Iran has provided pirate groups with an opportunity to operate. Somalia’s coastline was once considered one of the world’s worst regions for piracy, but incidents have increased again in recent years.

In 2011, over 200 attacks were recorded along the Somali coast, according to EU naval force data. An international naval coalition eventually suppressed the threat, reducing attacks to nearly zero by 2014. However, incidents began to rise again in 2023, with some analysts attributing this to anti-piracy patrols being redirected to the Red Sea to counter threats from Houthi forces targeting ships in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Source: Al Jazeera