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

Somali pirates hijacked the Eritrean-flagged oil tanker M.T. Sibu 1 on Thursday, approximately 136 nautical miles east of al-Mukalla, Yemen. The vessel was taken towards Somalia's Puntland coast. This incident marks the sixth commercial vessel seized since April in the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean, indicating a resurgence of piracy. The M.T. Sibu 1 is managed by a UAE-based company and was previously sanctioned by the US Treasury Department for allegedly being part of an Iranian "shadow fleet" evading sanctions. The article does not state the number of sailors kidnapped, only that 20 were taken.

Somali pirates have hijacked an oil products tanker, the Eritrean-flagged M.T. Sibu 1, off the coast of Yemen. This is the sixth commercial vessel seized by Somali pirates since April, indicating a resurgence of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean. The Sibu 1, carrying 20 crew members, was taken towards Somalia's Puntland coast. The tanker had previously been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department for allegedly belonging to an Iranian "shadow fleet." The hijacking follows the seizure of another cargo vessel just three days prior. Puntland's Security Ministry stated that forces beyond their control are behind the renewed piracy, though this claim could not be independently verified.