Pirates have hijacked an oil tanker carrying 17 crew members off the Somali coast, reviving fears of renewed maritime insecurity in a region once stabilized by international naval efforts
A renewed wave of piracy off the Somali coast has rattled maritime security officials after armed men hijacked an oil tanker carrying 17 crew members in waters once considered largely stabilized by international patrols.
The vessel, identified as Honour 25, was seized late Wednesday by six armed attackers approximately 30 nautical miles off the Somali shoreline, according to multiple security officials speaking to the BBC. The ship was later moved closer to shore, where additional armed men reportedly boarded, bringing the total number of hijackers to at least eleven.
The tanker, carrying an estimated 18,500 barrels of oil, was en route toward Mogadishu when it was intercepted. Security officials from Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region said the vessel has since anchored between the coastal fishing towns of Xaafun and Bander Beyla.
A Strategic Route Reopens Old Risks
The hijacking has renewed concerns over a maritime corridor that had seen a sharp decline in piracy after 2011, when coordinated international naval interventions significantly reduced attacks in the Indian Ocean. However, officials say the threat has gradually returned in recent years, with smaller commercial vessels, fishing trawlers, and cargo ships increasingly targeted.
The seizure of a tanker heading toward Mogadishu is expected to heighten economic anxiety in the Somali capital, where fuel prices have reportedly tripled since the escalation of tensions linked to the US-Israel conflict with Iran.
Shipping data reviewed by investigators indicates the Honour 25 departed from Berbera in the Republic of Somaliland on February 20. It later reached waters near the United Arab Emirates shortly after the outbreak of regional hostilities, before circling near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel then reversed course on April 2 and proceeded toward Somalia’s central coastline.
Crew From Multiple Countries
The 17-member crew includes 10 Pakistani nationals, four Indonesians, and one each from India, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar. All remain aboard the vessel under pirate control, according to security sources.
Officials believe the attackers launched from a remote coastal area near Bander Beyla, though it remains unclear how they were able to intercept and seize control of a large commercial tanker without early detection by regional or international patrols.
Neither Somali federal authorities nor the European Union Naval Force, which oversees anti-piracy operations in Somali waters, has issued an official statement on the incident.
Rising Concerns Over Maritime Security Vacuum
Analysts warn that the attack could signal a broader erosion of maritime security gains achieved over the past decade. While piracy networks were previously disrupted through coordinated naval patrols, legal enforcement efforts, and improved shipping practices, fragmented governance along Somalia’s coastline continues to create vulnerabilities.
The latest hijacking underscores growing uncertainty over whether regional and international security frameworks remain sufficient to deter increasingly organized and adaptive pirate groups operating along key shipping routes.
