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An oil tanker has been hijacked off the coast of Somalia and taken into the country’s territorial waters, British maritime security agency UKMTO said on Saturday.
The incident adds to growing risks for vessels navigating the Red Sea, which has become an increasingly important supply route as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz heighten.
UKMTO said the tanker was seized northeast of the Somali city of Mareeyo on Tuesday. Military authorities were said to have reported that unauthorised persons took control of the vessel and manoeuvred it about 77 nautical miles south into Somali waters.
“Military Authorities have reported unauthorised persons taking control of the tanker and manoeuvring the vessel 77NM (nautical miles) south within Somali territorial waters.”
Somali authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the hijacking.
Somalia continues to face instability, with the government dealing with tensions among semi-autonomous regions as well as frequent attacks by the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group Al-Shabaab.
The country was once a hotspot for pirate attacks, which peaked in 2011 before declining after naval patrols by the European Union, India and other international forces were deployed in the area.
Across the Gulf of Aden lies Yemen, where Iran-backed Houthi rebels have previously targeted shipping.
On Thursday, UKMTO said a Somali-flagged fishing vessel had also been hijacked by 11 armed men, while an oil-products tanker was separately boarded by another armed group. It said the incidents pointed to a credible piracy threat.
