Oil tanker hijacked off Shabwa coast

SHABWA, May 02 (YPA) – The Yemeni Coast Guard Authority, in the Saudi-backed government, announced on Saturday that the oil tanker “M/T EUREKA” was subjected to an armed robbery and hijacking by unidentified individuals off the coast of Shabwah Governorate.

According to the statement by the coast guard authority, the gunmen forced the vessel toward the Gulf of Aden, with indications it may be heading toward the Somali coast.

Security boats have launched search and tracking operations to locate the ship and determine the fate of its crew.

This comes nearly two hours after the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) announced that it had received a report of a small boat, accompanied by a fishing vessel, approaching a bulk carrier, 84 nautical miles southwest of the port of Mukalla, in an incident that is the second of its kind in less than 24 hours.

YPA