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Somali pirates hijack oil products tanker off Yemen

Six armed assailants seized the Eritrean-flagged M.T. Sibu 1 and 20 crew members, marking the sixth commercial vessel capture since April.

Updated Aug 24, 2026 · 02:15 UTC2 reports

The short version

  • Six armed Somali pirates hijacked the Eritrean-flagged oil tanker M.T. Sibu 1 roughly 136 nautical miles east of al-Mukalla, Yemen, redirecting it toward Puntland.
  • The tanker carried 20 crew members, including 16 Indian nationals along with Syrian, Sudanese, and Iraqi crew.
  • The incident marks the sixth commercial vessel seized by Somali pirates since late April across the western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.
  • The tanker's departure port and destination remain unknown, alongside the unidentified source of recent coastal airstrikes reported by regional authorities.

Key facts

  • Armed pirates captured the Eritrean-flagged tanker M.T. Sibu 1 about 136 nautical miles east of al-Mukalla, Yemen, and navigated it toward Somalia's Puntland coastline.[ABC News · Associated Press]
  • The hijacked ship carried 20 crew members: 16 Indians, one Syrian, one Sudanese, one Iraqi, and one individual whose nationality was not immediately confirmed.[ABC News · Associated Press]
  • The M.T. Sibu 1 is managed by UAE-based Qatrat Alnada Almasi Ship Management and was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department last year for allegedly participating in an Iranian shadow fleet.[ABC News · Associated Press]
  • This attack represents the sixth commercial vessel hijacking by Somali pirates since April 21, following seizures of the Honor 25, Sward, Eureka, Asana, and Lutuf.[ABC News · Associated Press]
  • According to the International Maritime Bureau, Somali pirates accounted for 94% of crew members taken hostage globally in the first half of 2026.[ABC News · Associated Press]

What remains uncertain

  • The previous port of departure and intended destination of the M.T. Sibu 1 remain unclear.[ABC News · Associated Press]
  • Puntland's Security Ministry asserted that external forces beyond its control are directing the piracy resurgence, but it did not identify specific groups or countries, and the claim is unverified.[ABC News · Associated Press]
  • The actors responsible for alleged airstrikes near Garacad on August 18 and August 20 were not identified, and the strikes could not be independently confirmed.[ABC News · Associated Press]

Sources