Somali pirates have seized an oil tanker near Yemen, according to several Somali security officials who spoke to the BBC.
Earlier, Yemen’s coastguard confirmed that the vessel, MT Eureka, had been taken over and was heading toward Somalia. Reports indicate the hijacking occurred in the Gulf of Aden, close to the port of Qana.
Security sources from Puntland said the attackers launched their operation from a remote coastal location near Qandala, a town along the Gulf of Aden. Three officials independently confirmed the details to the BBC.
This is the second oil tanker hijacked in the region within 10 days. On April 22, pirates captured the vessel Honor 25, which was transporting 18,500 barrels of oil to Mogadishu.
Before the incident, MT Eureka was sailing under the flag of Togo. According to officials, armed men boarded the tanker at approximately 5:00 AM local time (03:00 BST).
The ship is currently moving through the Gulf of Aden between Yemen and Somalia and is expected to anchor in Somali waters soon.
In a separate development, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that armed individuals in a small boat approached a bulk carrier near Al-Mukala, Yemen, on Friday.
Authorities said the group involved in that incident had departed from a remote coastal area near the fishing town of Caluula (Alula), located about 209km from where the MT Eureka hijackers set out.
These incidents suggest that piracy is spreading along Somalia’s extensive coastline, which stretches more than 3,300km and is the longest on mainland Africa.
The latest attack brings the total number of successful hijackings in the past two weeks to four.
So far, Somali authorities and the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR), responsible for anti-piracy operations in the region, have not issued statements regarding the most recent seizure.
Piracy off the Somali coast had significantly declined after 2011 but has resurged since late 2023. This increase coincides with attacks by Houthi rebels on vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, which have diverted international naval efforts and created opportunities for pirate groups to operate.
A security official in Puntland warned that the situation is deteriorating, noting increased activity by armed groups along the coastline.
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