Pirates hijack oil tanker off the coast of Somalia

Multiple security officials have reported that pirates seized an oil tanker near the Somali coast, according to the BBC. The vessel, named Honour 25, was taken over by six armed men late on Wednesday while it was about 30 nautical miles from the shore.

The ship is now anchored between the fishing communities of Xaafun and Bander Beyla, close to the Somali shoreline, under the control of the hijackers. Five more gunmen have boarded the Honour 25 since the incident, according to sources.

Security officials from Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region stated the Honour 25 was carrying 18,500 barrels of oil.

Until recently, the Indian Ocean stretch near Somalia had seen a decline in pirate activity, but the threat has resurfaced. Fishing trawlers and container ships are now primary targets, officials noted.

The tanker departed Berbera port in Somaliland on 20 February and reached the UAE coast shortly after the US-Israel conflict with Iran began. ShipAtlas data shows it then circled near the Strait of Hormuz before reversing course on 2 April to head toward Mogadishu.

The capture of this vessel, bound for Mogadishu, is likely to worsen tensions in the city, where petrol prices have already tripled since the conflict started. Neither Somali authorities nor the European Naval Force, which monitors anti-piracy efforts, has issued a statement on the incident.

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