2 vessels with 22 Indians hijacked; MEA says all safe

New Delhi (TIP): Two foreign-flagged commercial vessels carrying 22 Indian seafarers have been hijacked by armed pirates in separate incidents off Somalia and Yemen this week. Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs on Friday asserted that all Indian nationals were safe.
The incidents have renewed concerns over a resurgence of Somali piracy in the western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said 16 Indian seafarers were aboard one vessel and six on the other. “From what we have gathered so far, these 22 Indian citizens — our seafarers — are safe. We are in touch with the relevant officials regarding this matter to ensure the safety and well-being of our people,” Jaiswal said.
The Indian Embassy in Kenya said it had taken up the matter with the authorities concerned in Somalia and confirmed the presence of 16 Indians aboard the Eritrea-flagged MT Sibu 1 and six aboard the Cameroon-flagged MV Lutuf. According to reports, the latest incident involved Sibu 1, an oil-products tanker hijacked on Thursday in the Gulf of Aden, about 30 nautical miles off Yemen. Six armed men reportedly boarded the vessel and took control of it before it was diverted towards Somalia.
The second vessel, Lutuf, a Cameroon-flagged general cargo ship, was hijacked on August 17, about four nautical miles off Mareeyo on Somalia’s Puntland coast. Eight armed men reportedly boarded the vessel and took control of it.