Two tankers with 22 Indians on board hijacked by pirates off Yemen, Somalia

Two commercial ships carrying a total of 22 Indian sailors have been taken over by pirates in recent incidents off the coasts of Yemen and Somalia. The Eritrea-flagged tanker, MT Sibu 1, with 16 Indians among its 20 crew members, was seized in the Gulf of Aden on August 20. Meanwhile, the Cameroon-flagged vessel, M/V LUTUF, with six Indians on board, was hijacked off Somalia's Puntland coast on August 17.

Both vessels are currently under pirate control, and no injuries have been reported among the crew thus far. The hijackers, who may have been involved in a previous incident, are believed to be from Yemen and are suspected to have ties to the conflict in Yemen. The maritime security situation in the region remains a concern for Indian seafarers, who are the world's second-largest supplier of seafarers after the Philippines.