Two Indian-crewed vessels have been hijacked near Yemen and Somalia, with 22 sailors caught in separate incidents. All crew members are reported safe, but the seizures highlight a dangerous resurgence of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off Puntland, raising both security and geopolitical concerns.

The first incident occurred on 20 August 2026, when the Eritrea-flagged oil tanker MT Sibu-1 was seized about 30 nautical miles off Yemen’s coast.

The vessel carried 20 crew members, including 16 Indians, alongside nationals from Syria, Sudan, and Iraq. Six armed pirates boarded the ship from skiffs and took control.

This tanker had previously been linked to the Iranian petroleum trade and was sanctioned by the United States in late 2025, making its capture geopolitically sensitive.

The second incident took place on 17 August 2026, involving the Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel M/V LUTUF off Puntland, Somalia. The ship carried 10 crew members, including six Indians, one Turkish national, one Georgian, and two Serbian security guards. Eight pirates armed with AK-47s boarded from two skiffs.

The vessel was reportedly transporting communications and satellite equipment, along with weapons bound for a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu, adding another layer of strategic complexity.

Indian authorities, including the Ministry of External Affairs and the High Commission in Nairobi, have confirmed that all 22 Indian sailors are safe. Coordination with Somali officials is ongoing, and the Recruitment and Placement Service Licence (RPSL) agency has been tasked with filing incident reports and updates through the e-Navik casualty reporting system.

The hijackings underscore the renewed piracy threat in the Horn of Africa, a region critical for global shipping. The Gulf of Aden and Bab-el-Mandeb Strait are vital chokepoints for energy and trade routes, and piracy here immediately drives up insurance premiums, war risk costs, and shipping delays. 

Companies may be forced to reroute vessels, increasing fuel consumption and operational expenses. For India, the incidents are particularly alarming given the country’s reliance on maritime trade and the vulnerability of its seafarers.

Geopolitically, the seizure of vessels carrying sensitive cargo raises questions about regional instability, shadow fleet operations, and the involvement of groups linked to previous hijackings.

Reports suggest that some pirates may belong to networks active earlier this year, including those responsible for the M/V Sward hijacking in April. Additionally, unconfirmed reports mention a drone strike killing four suspected pirates near Somalia, though responsibility remains unclear.

Delhi will be watching closely, not only because of the safety of its nationals but also due to the timing of Pakistan’s resupply of drones and precision munitions, its sharpening diplomatic rupture with India, and the broader narrative of maritime insecurity.

India’s naval presence in the Indian Ocean has already been strengthened since Operation Sindoor, and its air defences have proven capable against Turkish-origin drones. Yet piracy combined with geopolitical manoeuvring by Rawalpindi, Beijing, and Ankara signals a volatile maritime environment.

Agencies