News

The 'Sward' has been hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia on April 26, 2026. The ship has been transferred to the country's territorial waters on April 27. The crew consisted of 15 people, including two Indian nationals and 12 Syrians. The ship was en route from Adabiya to Mombasa. The bulk carrier 'New Venture' was chased by a skiff with seven persons, heavily armed including an RPG on May 1, 20026, about 92 nautical miles southwest of Mukalla within the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC). On May 2, the UKMTO reported a suspicious approach of a bulk carrier 84 nautical miles southwest of Al Mukalla. The Master reported being approached to within 500 metres by one green hulled skiff which was accompanied by one white fishing vessel. The incidents followed a resurgence in Somalia piracy with two vessels hijacked in the latter part of April. The tanker 'Honour 25' was hijacked off Somalia on April 21. EU NAVOR said last week it was monitoring both vessels. The Togo-flagged tanker 'Eureka' was boarded by armed pirates while at anchorage in the Port of Sana on May 2.

On April 21, 2026, at 11.40 a.m. the ' Honour 25' has apparently been seized by six armed intruders about 44 nautical miles off the coast of Mareeyo, Somalia. The product tanker was brought to an anchorage 70 nautical miles off the northern Somali coast. The 'Honour 25' was registered in Palau and appeared to be operating ferrying fuel from the Middle East to Somalia. It had departed from Berbera in the Somaliland district on Feb 20 and proceeded to the UAE. It was last reported to have been anchored at Khor al Fakkan at the ial eastern/southern side of the Strait of Hormuz. It was unclear if it was able to load fuel, but it appeared to have got underway this week, reporting it was bound for Mogadishu with armed guards aboard. Imstead, it has been moved to an anchorage between Xaafun (Hafun) and Bander Beyla. It was the same area near Hafun cited in earlier warnings. They reported that there were 17 crew members being held on the ship. The crew nationalities included Pakistan, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar nationals.

The 'New Venture' was chased by a skiff with seven persons, heavily armed including an RPG on May 1, 20026, about 92 nautical miles southwest of Mukalla within the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC). On May 2, the UKMTO reported a suspicious approach of a bulk carrier 84 nautical miles southwest of Al Mukalla. The Master reported being approached to within 500 metres by one green hulled skiff which was accompanied by one white fishing vessel. The incidents followed a resurgence in Somalia piracy with two vessels hijacked in the latter part of April. The tanker 'Honour 25' was hijacked off Somalia on 21 April, and the 'Sward' was also hijacked on April 26. EU NAVOR said last week it was monitoring both vessels. The Togo-flagged tanker 'Eureka' was boarded by armed pirates while at anchorage in the Port of Sana on May 2.

A CAT 31 incident of armed robbery against the 'Lowlands Island' was reported to the ReCAAP IS, while the 'Lowlands Island', which was underway in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme of the Singapore Strait enroute from Tema on April 9, 2026, at 3.40 a.m. Four perpetrators, armed with knives and a gun-like object, boarded the ship in pos. 1° 3' N 193° 79.7' E. The crew members were not injured, while some engine spare parts were stolen. The ship arrived in Bilixiang on April 20.

The 'Eureka' was hijacked on May 2, 2026, off the coast of Shabwa. Armed men boarded the vessel, while it was near Qana, seizing control from the crew. The tanker was moved through the Gulf of Aden towards Somali waters (specifically toward the Puntland regions of Bosaso or Qandala). The vessel had sailed from Fujairah eight days ago. No group has officially claimed responsibility yet. The AIS was briefly switched on May 2 at around 400 p.m. UTC, showing the vessel around midway between Yemen and Somalia. Efforts were underway to regain control and ensure the safety of those onboard. The hijacking of the 'Eureka' followed two suspicious approaches on vessels off the coast of Yemen on May 1 and 2. The Liberian-flagged bulk carrier 'New Venture' was chased by a skiff with seven persons, heavily armed including an RPG on May 1 about 92 nautical miles southwest of Mukalla within the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC). On May 2, the UKMTO reported a suspicious approach of a bulk carrier 84 nautical miles southwest of Al Mukalla. The Master reported being approached to within 500 metres by one green hulled skiff which was accompanied by one white fishing vessel. The incidents followed a resurgence in Somalia piracy with two vessels hijacked in the latter part of April. The tanker 'Honour 25' was hijacked off Somalia on 21 April, and the 'Sward' was also hijacked on April 26. EU NAVOR said last week it was monitoring both vessels.