Somali pirates seize second vessel in four days off Yemen coast

Somali pirates hijacked a vessel suspected of belonging to the Iranian shadow fleet off the coast of Yemen, marking the second commercial ship seized in four days. Somali officials confirmed the vessel was diverted, drawing renewed attention to security vulnerabilities in critical trade corridors.

Maritime tracking intelligence indicates the oil tanker had previously transported fuel to oil terminals in Yemen. Armed individuals boarded the vessel in the Gulf of Aden before steering it toward the Somali coastline.

The incident follows the boarding of a separate cargo vessel off the coast of Puntland days earlier. Regional authorities reported that six ships remain detained by armed groups in the area, with more than 100 crew members held hostage across various vessels.

Security analysts note that maritime operations across the region face increased strain due to overlapping regional conflicts, diverting naval monitoring assets away from traditional piracy hot spots. Armed boardings and suspicious approaches in the Gulf of Aden have registered a marked increase over recent months.

Efforts to secure shipping lanes near the Bab al-Mandeb strait remain complicated by limited local coast guard capabilities. Merchant vessels navigating these waters have been advised to maintain heightened security protocols and report all suspicious craft immediately.