By Hassan Adan
Somali pirates have hijacked a fuel tanker carrying thousands of barrels of oil and a multinational crew off the country’s northeastern coast, officials from.Puntland said, raising fresh concerns over a possible resurgence of maritime insecurity in the region.
The vessel, identified as Honour 25, was seized late on Wednesday by at least six armed men about 30 nautical miles offshore, according to regional security sources.
Officials said the tanker was transporting around 18,500 barrels of fuel and was en route to Mogadishu when it was intercepted.
It is now anchored near the coast between the fishing towns of Xaafun and Bander Beyla.
“The ship is currently under the control of armed men, and additional individuals have reportedly boarded since the initial hijacking,” a security official told Frontuer Online Media , speaking on condition of anonymity.
The crew consists of 17 foreign nationals — including 10 Pakistanis, four Indonesians, one Indian, one Sri Lankan and one Myanmar national — though their condition remains unclear, and no contact with the hijackers has been confirmed according to offucial who spoke to Frontier Online Media.
Authorities believe the attackers launched the operation from a remote coastal area near Bander Beyla, but details of how they intercepted the vessel remain uncertain.
A regional maritime official said authorities were monitoring the situation but faced logistical challenges in accessing the area.
“We are gathering more information and coordinating with relevant partners,” the official said.
The hijacking comes at a time when fuel prices in Mogadishu have already surged amid global supply concerns linked to tensions surrounding the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict, raising fears of further economic pressure if supplies are disrupted.
While no group has claimed responsibility, analysts say the incident bears the hallmarks of opportunistic piracy, which has shown signs of re-emerging along Somalia’s coastline in recent years.
Piracy off Somalia had declined significantly over the past decade due to sustained international naval patrols, including operations by the European Union Naval Force and the Combined Maritime Forces, alongside improved onboard security measures by commercial vessels.
However, recent attacks targeting fishing boats and smaller commercial ships have raised concerns among maritime security experts about a potential revival of pirate networks, particularly in remote coastal regions.
“Any successful hijacking of a commercial vessel, especially a tanker, risks emboldening pirate groups and could signal a broader trend if not addressed swiftly,” a maritime security analyst Abdullahi Gutaale said.
There was no immediate comment from Somalia’s federal government or international naval forces operating in the region at the time of filing this report.
The waters off Somalia form part of a vital global shipping route linking the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, making disruptions in the area a potential threat to international trade and energy supplies.
Local authorities said efforts were ongoing to track the situation and ensure the safety of the crew, though the prospects for a quick resolution remain uncertain.
“Our priority is the safety of the crew and a peaceful resolution to the situation,” the security official said.
