Pirates have hijacked an oil tanker with 17 crew members sailing near the Somali coast, according to multiple security officials who spoke to the BBC.
The ship, Honour 25, was overrun late on Wednesday by six gunmen approximately 30 nautical miles offshore, the officials reported.
Until three years ago, piracy had almost disappeared in this stretch of the Indian Ocean, once notorious for hijackings. However, it has recently made a comeback, with fishing trawlers and container ships being targeted.
The seizure of a tanker headed for Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, is likely to escalate anxiety in the city, which has seen petrol prices triple since the inception of the US-Israel conflict with Iran.
The vessel was carrying 18,500 barrels of oil, as confirmed by security officials from Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region.
The hijacked ship departed the port of Berbera in Somaliland on February 20 and arrived close to the coast of the UAE shortly after the conflict began, according to the ShipAtlas website. It was later seen circling near the Strait of Hormuz before turning back toward Mogadishu on April 2.
Currently under the control of pirates, the vessel is anchored between the fishing towns of Xaafun and Bander Beyla and has a diverse crew comprising 10 Pakistanis, four Indonesians, one Indian, one Sri Lankan, and one from Myanmar. Reports indicate that five additional armed men have subsequently boarded Honour 25.
It is believed the hijackers originated from a remote area near Bander Beyla. Details on how they managed to intercept and seize the oil tanker remain unclear.
Neither the Somali authorities nor the European Naval Force overseeing anti-piracy operations in Somali waters have released any statements regarding the hijacking.
