Gunmen seize tanker off Yemen amid resurgence of Somali piracy | Shipping News
UK Maritime Security Monitor Confirms Seamull Tanker Diverted Toward Somalia Amid Resurgence of Piracy in Gulf of Aden
By Al Jazeera Staff
Published Aug. 20, 2026
A tanker has been seized off the coast of Yemen by armed assailants who have redirected the vessel towards Somalia, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center.
On Thursday, UKMTO reported that a distress call was made from the Seamull tanker, also identified as SIBU 1, which was approximately 136 nautical miles (252 kilometers) east of Al Mukalla, Yemen. The crew indicated they were being approached by an unauthorized vessel while traveling westward through the Gulf of Aden.
“UKMTO received confirmation that the tanker has been boarded by six armed individuals who are now in control of the vessel and redirecting it to Somalia,” the agency stated. Authorities are currently investigating the incident. Meanwhile, they have advised other vessels in the region to exercise caution and report any suspicious activities to UKMTO.
Details regarding the safety of the tanker and its crew were not disclosed by UKMTO.
The SIBU 1 was seized in a crucial shipping lane that connects the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, which serves as a vital maritime link between Asia and Europe. Approximately 12 to 15 percent of global trade by value flows through this canal annually, along with about 30 percent of the world’s container traffic.
Piracy off the coast of Somalia was rampant in the early 2000s, peaking in 2011, before international naval efforts and enhanced security protocols for commercial shipping significantly reduced incidents.
However, the recent boarding of the tanker comes amid a noticeable resurgence in Somali piracy, which has been rising since April of this year after a prolonged lull of over a decade. Currently, five cargo ships are reported as hostages, including an oil tanker that was captured in July near Yemen’s Hadramout province.
Between 2005 and 2012, Somali pirates were implicated in more than 1,000 attacks, resulting in approximately $400 million in ransom payments and prompting a global crackdown that nearly eradicated hijackings by 2013.
Analysts suggest that the effectiveness of naval forces has diminished due to ongoing conflicts in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz. This situation has led some international vessels to reroute closer to Somali waters, exacerbating the renewed threat of piracy as instability persists in the East African region.
