22 Indian sailors on two cargo ships hijacked off Yemen, Somalia are safe: Govt
All 22 Indian seafarers aboard two foreign-flagged vessels hijacked by pirates off Yemen and Somalia are safe, EAM said, as authorities work to ensure their safety.
New Delhi reported that 22 Indian sailors are among the crew of two vessels seized by armed men in the Gulf of Aden this week, according to the country's foreign ministry on Friday. The Seamull tanker, also known as SIBU 1, with 16 Indian sailors, sent a distress signal in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday. The gunmen took control of the vessel and redirected it towards Somalia.
According to spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, "Two foreign-flagged vessels were involved. One had 16 Indian nationals on board, while the other had six." India has not disclosed the nationalities of the remaining crew members. The Seamull tanker was sanctioned by the United States in December 2022 for its alleged involvement in exporting Iranian oil using deceptive practices.
On Monday, a Cameroon-flagged cargo ship called the Lutuf, carrying six Indian crew members, was also hijacked by eight gunmen who boarded the ship from another vessel they captured in April. Piracy was prevalent off the coast of Somalia in the 2000s and saw a peak in 2011 before being reduced through international naval patrols and enhanced security protocols for commercial shipping.
India is a significant contributor to the global merchant fleet, with over 320,000 active seafarers as of 2025, as per the shipping ministry's data.
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