May 2, 2026, 7:18 p.mMay 2, 2026, 7:18 p.m
An oil tanker in the Middle East. (Archive image9Image: keystone
According to the Yemeni coast guard, gunmen have hijacked an oil tanker off the country’s coast and are now steering the ship towards Somalia in the Horn of Africa. The “M/T Eureka” was attacked on Saturday off the coast of the southeast Yemeni province of Shabwah by previously unknown persons who boarded the tanker and took control of it. The kidnappers then steered the ship into the Gulf of Aden towards the Somali coast, according to the statement.
Despite limited resources, Yemen sent two patrol boats from the coastal city of Aden and smaller units from Shabwah to locate the tanker. It was possible to determine the location of the tanker. The Coast Guard said efforts were ongoing to free the ship and ensure the safety of the crew.
In the noughties, Somali pirates spread terror far into the Indian Ocean. For years there was peace. The British Merchant Shipping Safety Authority (UKMTO) recently spoke of a significant increase in the threat situation in Somali waters. Authorities in the East African country, however, emphasize that it is too early to speak of a return of piracy. (sda/dpa)