The recovery of an oil tanker hijacked by Somalis with Egyptian sailors on board has stalled.

Written by Ziad Abdel Fattah:

Efforts to recover the oil tanker "M/T EUREKA" hijacked by gunmen off the coast of the province have stalled. Shabwa, YemenThis incident has revived concerns about growing maritime threats in the Gulf of Aden, and has also revealed the limited operational capabilities of the Yemeni coast guard in dealing with piracy incidents that cross territorial waters.

Nine armed men are steering the ship towards the Somali coast.

An oil tanker was hijacked off the coast of Shabwa Governorate in southeastern Yemen, in an incident carried out by nine Somali gunmen equipped with various weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades, amid rapid developments indicating that the ship was heading towards the Somali coast.

Yemeni authorities announced on Sunday that hijacked tanker It was carrying 12 sailors of Egyptian and Indian nationalities, in addition to about 2,800 tons of diesel fuel, in an operation described as an armed maritime robbery.

Information received on Sunday morning indicated that it was about to enter Somali territorial waters, which forced Yemeni coast guard boats to return to their bases due to operational restrictions, sea conditions, and crew safety requirements.

We mobilize the coast guard immediately upon receiving the report.

The Yemeni Coast Guard said that the forces moved immediately upon receiving the report by sending 3 boats to intercept the ship, but the limited capabilities of these boats, which are designated for short-term missions and are not qualified to work on the high seas, prevented them from reaching the tanker in a timely manner.

The Coast Guard explained that the tanker continued its course under the control of armed elements towards the northeastern coasts of Somalia, at a time when it was approaching the Somali territorial waters on Sunday morning.

According to the statement, international partners participated in monitoring and locating the ship, without any direct involvement in the interception or recovery operation.

According to field data, the hijacked tanker is heading towards the Gulf of Aden, before continuing its course towards the Somali coast, amid the absence of any official announcement regarding the identity of the party carrying out the operation so far.

The Yemeni coast guard expressed its hope for the safety of the ship's crew, stressing that the incident represents a major challenge to the protection of international navigation in the region.

The Yemeni authorities called for increased international and regional support to enable the coast guard to perform its duties in securing maritime routes and combating illegal activities.

It is worth noting that the tanker had been subjected to an armed robbery off the coast of Shabwa, where unknown elements boarded it and took control of it before changing its course towards the Gulf of Aden.