After armed pirates hijacked two commercial vessels with 22 Indian nationals on board in separate incidents off the coasts of Yemen and Somalia, the Indian High Commission in Nairobi on Friday, August 21, said it is monitoring the situation and has taken up the matter with the authorities in Somalia.
“All Indian seafarers are reportedly safe,” said the High Commission.
The hijacking incidents point at a severe escalation of maritime security threats across the Horn of Africa. International shipping networks were in shock after India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed the twin attacks on Thursday. Most of the she shipping networks rely on the vital Red Sea and Indian Ocean trade corridors.
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Two commercial vessels—M.T. Sibu 1 and M/V LUTUF—were hijacked off the coasts of Yemen and Somalia on Wednesday or Thursday, according to reports. MT Sibu is an Eritrea-flagged vessel, and MV Lutuf is a Cameroon-flagged ship, said sources.
M/V LUTUF was seized about three and a half nautical miles off Marraya in Puntland’s Eyl district and was then taken toward Somalia’s Nugaal coast, according to The Associated Press that quoted a Somali official cited. Eight armed hijackers steered the ship, it said.
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“We have taken up the matter of Indian seafarers onboard vessels MT Sibu (Eritrea flagged) and MV Lutuf (Cameroon flagged) with the authorities concerned in Somalia. It is understood that there are reportedly 16 Indian seafarers onboard MT Sibu and 6 Indian seafarers onboard MV Lutuf. All Indian seafarers are reportedly safe. We attach the highest importance to the safety and welfare of the Indian seafaring community,” the High Commission in Nairobi said on Friday.
According to the shipping ministry, merchant shipping worldwide gets its bulk of sailors from India, with an estimated 320,000 active seafarers in 2025.
Resurgence of piracy in international waters keeps destabilising regional geopolitical harmony. While millions of dollars are spent to protect merchant shipping, the latest incidents of hijacking highlight the persistent vulnerability of the global supply chain.
