Maritime security has been thrown into crisis this week following the hijacking of two commercial tankers off the coasts of Yemen and Somalia. On Thursday, August 20, the Eritrea-flagged tanker MT Sibu 1, also known as Seamull, was seized in the Gulf of Aden after being boarded by six armed men. The vessel, which had been under US sanctions for its alleged involvement in Iran’s "shadow fleet," was forced to divert toward Somalia. Among the 20 crew members on board, 16 are Indian nationals, all of whom are currently reported to be safe.

This incident follows another alarming hijacking just days earlier, when the Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel Lutuf was captured near the Somali coast on August 17. Armed gunmen took control of the ship, which was en route to Tanzania, and forced it toward the Puntland region. The crew of the Lutuf includes six Indian nationals, alongside members from Georgia, Turkey, and Serbia. These attacks mark a concerning resurgence of piracy in the region, an area that had seen a decline in such threats following years of international naval intervention, leaving authorities on high alert as they navigate the current hostage situations.