Puntland Forces Intercept Hijacked, US-Sanctioned Oil Tanker After 48 Hours

A US-sanctioned oil tanker hijacked by Somali pirates has been rescued by Puntland forces in Somalia after a 48-hour operation.

All 20 crew members are safe, authorities in the semi-autonomous Puntland region said on Friday, September 25.

Sibu 1, also known as Seamull, was seized on August 20 by six armed men, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The tanker was later taken into Somali waters.

The vessel was sanctioned by the US Treasury in December over allegations that it was part of a shadow fleet helping Iranian petroleum products evade US sanctions.

The Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) said its forces and the Puntland Navy carried out a planned operation lasting 48 hours to recover the tanker and arrest the pirates.

The force said the tanker was flying the Eritrean flag when it was captured. It was recovered off the coast of the Mudug region after being taken from waters east of Yemen’s Mukalla city.

Puntland forces had been pursuing Sibu 1 and three other hijacked tankers held offshore near Bander Beyla, according to officials cited by AFP.

The pirates moved south along the Somali coast as the forces followed them.

A security official told AFP that Sibu 1 was anchored south of Garacad when a large vessel used by Puntland forces ambushed it at sea.

One pirate was killed, four were wounded, and 15 were captured during the operation, Puntland authorities said. One police officer was also injured.

The 20 crew members were rescued safely. Authorities said their property was also safe.

Three other tankers, Honour 25, MT Asana and MT Eureka, are still being held by pirates, according to officials cited by AFP. The vessels have been moved south towards Hobyo, a port town in neighbouring Galmudug state.

Honour 25 and MT Eureka were carrying fuel worth millions of dollars, the officials said. Pirates had also been seen unloading barrels from the vessels to sell on the black market.

Sibu 1 was at least the 13th vessel attacked this year off Somalia or in the Gulf of Aden, according to International Maritime Bureau data and UKMTO reports cited by Reuters.

The International Maritime Organisation has separately recorded at least 15 attacks this year, the highest number since 2013, according to AFP.

Piracy off Somalia peaked in 2011 before international naval deployments and new security measures for commercial shipping helped bring attacks under control.

Somali piracy between 2008 and 2014 caused a security crisis in the western Indian Ocean. It cost the global economy billions of dollars and led to hundreds of millions of dollars in ransom payments.

Piracy attacks have increased again in recent months, raising concerns about the safety of ships operating off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden.

Puntland authorities said their forces remained ready to protect the region’s waters.

References: Reuters, 24newshd