Yemen, August 22 – At least 22 Indian sailors are among the crews of two commercial vessels hijacked by pirates in waters off Yemen and Somalia, according to India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. The Indian government said the sailors were safe so far, while the hijacked vessels remained under pirate control.
The first incident occurred on August 20, when pirates seized the MT Sibu-1, an oil tanker sailing under the Eritrean flag, about 30 nautical miles off the Yemeni coast in the Gulf of Aden. The vessel had 20 crew members, including 16 Indians. The remaining crew members were from Syria, Sudan and Iraq, while the nationality of one sailor was yet to be confirmed.
Six armed pirates reportedly boarded the tanker and took control of the vessel. India’s shipping ministry has instructed the ship’s manning company, SKS Krishi Marine Services, to submit an incident report and provide regular updates through the e-Navigation system.
A second attack took place earlier, on August 17, off Somalia’s Puntland coast. Armed pirates attacked the Cameroon-flagged MV Lutuf, which was carrying 10 crew members, including six Indians.
According to officials, eight pirates armed with AK-47 rifles approached the vessel in two speedboats and boarded it. The crew initially sought shelter in a secure room, but the pirates later entered the room and took the sailors to the bridge. No crew member was injured.
The vessel was reportedly hijacked near the Maraya area of Puntland’s Eyl district and taken toward the Nugal coast. Reports indicate that it was carrying Turkish weapons, communications equipment and satellite equipment intended for a military training facility in Mogadishu.
The renewed incidents highlight the risks faced by Indian seafarers operating in piracy-prone international waters. According to the 2026 BIMCO-ICS Seafarer Workforce Report, India has about 311,936 seafarers supplying the global maritime workforce, making it the world’s second-largest source of seafarers after the Philippines.
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