20 sailors kidnapped by Somali pirates near Yemen on US-sanctioned ship

Somali pirates hijacked an oil products tanker off Yemen, a Somali maritime security official said, the latest in a resurgence of piracy that has seen six commercial vessels seized since April across the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean.Six armed pirates hijacked the Eritrean-flagged M.T. Sibu 1 on Thursday about 136 nautical miles (252 kilometres) east of al-Mukalla, Yemen, and took it towards Somalia’s Puntland coast, the official, who has knowledge of the incident, told journalists on Friday. He spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not allowed to discuss the matter publicly.The Sibu 1, managed by the UAE-based Qatrat Alnada Almasi Ship Management, was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department last year for allegedly belonging to an Iranian “shadow fleet” used to transport petroleum products seeking to evade US sanctions.