/Agencia Anadolu
Egypt confirmed that an oil tanker – with eight Egyptian sailors on board – was hijacked off the coast of Yemen and taken to Somalia.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs communicated that it is “closely following the hijacking of the oil tanker M/T Eureka in Yemeni territorial waters, which was taken to Somali territorial waters.”
The ministry noted that Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has instructed the embassy in Mogadishu to monitor the situation of the eight Egyptian sailors on board the hijacked vessel and work towards their prompt release.
Abdelatty also urged the embassy to communicate “at the highest level” with Somali authorities to guarantee the integrity and safety of the sailors.
The statement was issued days after Yemeni authorities reported that a ship was hijacked by pirates on May 2 off the coast of the Shabwa governorate, in southwestern Yemen, with 12 Egyptian and Indian sailors on board.
On Sunday, May 10, the wife of one of the Egyptian sailors from the hijacked tanker requested the release of the crew, stating that the pirates have demanded a ransom for their release.
The coast of Somalia was the scene of intense pirate activity between 2008 and 2018, which decreased for several years, only to reappear at the end of 2023 amid the growing regional escalation.
