Pirates hijack an oil tanker off the coast of Shabwa in Yemen

An oil tanker was hijacked on Saturday off the Yemeni coast by pirates, as authorities are making efforts to recover it.

The Yemeni Coast Guard stated in a statement that armed men hijacked “the oil tanker M/T EUREKA off the coast of Shabwa Governorate on the Arabian Sea.”

The statement explained that “the vessel was subjected to an armed robbery by unknown elements, who boarded it, took control of it, and then steered it toward the Gulf of Aden in the direction of the Somali coast.”

It also confirmed that “the Yemeni Coast Guard immediately initiated its operational procedures by dispatching two maritime patrol boats from Aden, in addition to a small patrol craft from Shabwa Governorate, as part of search and tracking operations to determine the vessel’s location despite limited resources, capabilities, and the country’s exceptional circumstances.”

The statement added that “coordination was established with international partners and the relevant authorities present in the Gulf of Aden, which led to identifying the vessel’s location. Work is ongoing to monitor it and take the necessary measures in an attempt to recover it and ensure the safety of its crew.”

Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations had reported a suspicious approach by a bulk cargo vessel 84 nautical miles southwest of Mukalla, Yemen.