Date: May 2, 2026 l Reported by: Andrew Baba
Yemen’s coast guard has reported that an oil tanker was hijacked off the coast of Shabwa province by unidentified armed men who boarded the vessel and took control of it before steering it toward the Gulf of Aden in the direction of Somali waters. Authorities said efforts are underway to track the ship and ensure the safety of its crew.
According to the coast guard, the tanker, identified as the M/T EUREKA, was intercepted by armed individuals who boarded it at sea, seized control, and redirected its course away from Yemeni waters. Officials added that monitoring systems had helped locate the vessel’s general movement, and coordinated operations were in progress to recover it.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) earlier issued an advisory reporting an incident approximately 84 nautical miles southwest of Mukalla, prompting maritime security alerts in the region. The warning came as naval and coastal units began assessing the situation and tracking the vessel’s trajectory.
Yemeni authorities said the priority remains safeguarding the crew onboard while working with regional partners to prevent further escalation and secure maritime traffic in the area.