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Ulviyya Poladova

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Two commercial vessels carrying a total of 22 Indian nationals have been seized in two separate pirate attacks near the coasts of Yemen and Somalia.

According to the Hindustan Times, the "Sibu 1" tanker, sailing under the Eritrean flag with a crew of 20, was seized by six armed pirates in the Gulf of Aden, approximately 30 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen.

It was noted that all 20 crew members are safe. However, further updates are expected regarding the current status of the vessel and its crew. Sixteen crew members are Indian nationals, while one is from Syria, one from Sudan, and one from Iraq. The nationality of another crew member has yet to be confirmed.

In a separate incident, pirates seized the "Lutuv" cargo vessel, which was sailing under the Cameroonian flag, off the coast of Puntland, Somalia. Six of the 10 crew members were Indian nationals. After being seized approximately 3.5 nautical miles from the settlement of Marayya, the vessel was reportedly taken toward the Nugaal coast.

Earlier, there had already been several vessel seizures off the coast of Somalia. In May 2026, pirates reportedly hijacked an oil tanker carrying petroleum products off the country’s northeastern coast. The vessel was sailing from the port of Berbera to Mogadishu before being seized and redirected toward the Somali coast.

In late April 2026, unidentified attackers targeted a cargo vessel approximately 11 km off the coast of Somalia and diverted it into the country’s territorial waters. The cargo ship was subsequently seized off the Somali coast.

Image: x99 / ZUMAPRESS / Global Look Press