Two ships carrying 22 Indians hijacked off Yemen, Somalia

Two commercial vessels carrying a total of 22 Indian nationals have been hijacked in separate incidents off Yemen and Somalia, according to authorities and maritime security reports.

Key points

• Sibu 1, an Eritrea-flagged tanker, was seized by armed pirates in the Gulf of Aden, with 16 Indians among its 20-member crew.
• Separately, the Cameroon-flagged M/V LUTUF was hijacked off Somalia's Puntland coast on August 17.
• As reports indicate, authorities and maritime security agencies are continuing to monitor the situation and assess the safety of the Indian crew members.

What happened

Notably, the M.T. Sibu 1, an Eritrea-flagged tanker, was seized by armed pirates in the Gulf of Aden, with 16 Indians among its 20-member crew. Although the vessel's movements were being monitored, reports remarked the crew was safe.

Separately, the Cameroon-flagged M/V LUTUF was hijacked off Somalia's Puntland coast on August 17. The vessel has six Indian nationals among its 10-member crew and was carrying Turkish military equipment, communications and satellite equipment, according to an AP report citing a Somali official. The condition of the crew remains unclear.

Notably, the two incidents come against the backdrop of a noted resurgence of Somali piracy, with a number of merchant vessels already being held by pirate groups in the region. As reports indicate, authorities and maritime security agencies are continuing to monitor the situation and assess the safety of the Indian crew members.

The bottom line

For now, two ships carrying 22 Indians hijacked off Yemen, Somalia remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.