Suspected Somali Pirates Hijack Fuel Tanker Off Puntland

Suspected Somali pirates hijacked an oil tanker carrying 18,500 barrels of fuel and 17 foreign crew members off the northeastern coast of Somalia on Wednesday, security officials reported. The vessel, named Honour 25, was seized approximately 30 nautical miles offshore in waters near the semiautonomous region of Puntland, as it sailed toward the capital, Mogadishu.

Puntland officials stated that six armed men initially boarded the tanker, with five more joining later, bringing the number of attackers to 11. The ship, now anchored close to the coast between the fishing towns of Hafun and Bandar Beyla, had departed from the port of Berbera in Somaliland on February 20. Tracking data indicated it had traveled to waters near the United Arab Emirates before turning back in early April and circling near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. The crew consists of 10 Pakistanis, four Indonesians, one Indian, one Sri Lankan, and one from Myanmar. Their condition remains unconfirmed, though Pakistani maritime authorities have intensified efforts to ensure the safe recovery of their nationals.

A colonel with the Puntland Maritime Police Force, speaking on condition of anonymity, described...