News

All crew members of the tanker 'Eureka', including eight Egyptian sailors, were safe following the hijacking incident off the coast of Somalia. On Sep 29, the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) announced its response to the hijacking of the tanker and confirmed the safety of the entire crew. The pirates forced the tanker to run aground before abandoning the vessel and fleeing the scene, having first disembarked the crew. As maritime police forces approached the scene, the pirates fled toward the coast and retreated into the interior; security forces continued to pursue them and conducted further operations to apprehend those involved in the hijacking.

A CAT 3 incident occurred onboard the 'Sharq', while the LPG Tanker was moored at the Batangas Bay Anchorage, in pos. 13° 43.20' N 121° 2.10' E, on Sep 15, 2026, at 03.32 a.m. Two perpetrators, armed with knives and gun-like objects, stole ship's stores. No injuries were reported among the crew members.

The captain of the 'Honour 25' raised alert that the crew has been caught between two fractions in Somalia. The rival group recently tried to storm the ship, and there was an exchange of gunfire between the two groups. Five of the 17 crewmembers, including the captain, were now suffering from health problems. The captain reported that the food supplies have been reduced to rice, and the available water was unsafe for drinking.  As a result, the Chair of the IMO initiative, Metse Ralephenya of South Africa, was calling for “urgent, coordinated and decisive international intervention to secure the immediate, safe, and unconditional release of the crews.”

Authorities in the Puntland region of Somalia have freed the 'Sibu 1', and the pirates were arrested in a planned 48-hour operation. A violent clash took place between the Somali forces and the pirates off the coast of Mudug, leaving three people dead and several others injured. It was not specified whether it was all pirates or some of the crew from the ship.  The 'Sibu 1' was captured on Aug 20 off the coast of Yemen, approximately 136 nautical miles east of Al Mukalla by six pirated, who directed it to the coast of Somalia. The tanker had a crew of 20, including 16 Indian nationals and four Arab crewmembers. It had had a murky past and was sanctioned by the United States in December 2025 in an effort targeting an Egyptian businessman. OFAC asserted his companies were associated with multiple shadow fleet vessels, as well as several shipping companies, used to transport Iranian oil products. The former 'Seamull' was transferred to UAE management and renamed 'Sibu 1', claiming registry in Eritrea, which was considered false.

A CAT 3 incident occurred onboard the 'Mineral Kiklu', while the bulk carrier was transiting the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) in the Singapore Strait [SS] in pos. 1° 8.00' N 103° 31.16' E on Sep 17, 2026, at 3.18 a.m. Four perpetrators boarded the ship, armed with knives and gun-like objects, and stole engine spares. The crew members were not injured in the incident.