Indian seafarers rescued after two vessel hijackings near Somalia and Yemen

Indian naval forces have successfully rescued 22 Indian seafarers following two separate hijacking incidents involving foreign-flagged vessels near Somalia and Yemen.

The first incident involved the Eritrea-flagged oil products tanker MT Sibu, which was hijacked by armed pirates approximately 30 nautical miles off Yemen in the Gulf of Aden. The vessel carried 16 Indian nationals along with crew members from Syria, Sudan, and Iraq. The second incident occurred on August 17, when the Cameroon-flagged general cargo ship MV Lutuf was seized off the coast of Puntland, Somalia, with six Indian nationals on board.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that all 22 Indian citizens are reported to be safe. The High Commission of India in Nairobi stated it is coordinating with Somali authorities to ensure the continued well-being of the sailors. These hijackings highlight a resurgence of piracy in the western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, with attacks increasingly occurring further from the Somali coastline.