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Yemen says oil tanker hijacked off Shabwa coast, heads towards Somali waters

UK Maritime Trade Operations said pirates have seized four vessels in two weeks as naval patrols shift away from the area.

  • On Saturday, armed assailants hijacked the Togo-flagged oil tanker M/T Eureka off Yemen's Shabwa province, seizing the vessel and steering it toward the Somali coast, according to the Yemeni Coast Guard.
  • International naval patrols were diverted to address Houthi threats near the Red Sea, creating what European Union naval forces described as a "window of opportunity" for armed groups to exploit piracy.
  • This marks the fourth successful hijacking in two weeks, prompting the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations to raise the piracy threat level to "substantial" and urge vessels to "transit with caution."
  • The Yemeni Coast Guard vowed to "monitor it and take the necessary measures" to recover the tanker as officials track the vessel approaching Somali territorial waters.
  • Security officials identified the attackers' base near the coastal town of Caluula, 209km from the seizure point, underscoring proximity to critical Gulf of Aden shipping lanes and heightened risks ahead.
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While two boats have already been captured and another attacked in April off the coast of Somalia, the Eureka, a Togolese flag vessel, was in turn hijacked by armed men moving on fast frigates on Saturday, 2 May. The phenomenon is said to be largely related to the blockade of the Strait of Ormuz, the epicentre of the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States.

·Paris, France
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The Maritime Executive broke the news on Friday, May 1, 2026.
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