Somali Pirates Seize MT Eureka Diesel Tanker in Gulf of Aden — Third Major Hijacking in 10 Days

Somali pirates seized the Togo-flagged product tanker MT Eureka (3,300 DWT, owned by Royal Shipping Lines/UAE) on May 2, 2026, hijacking the vessel near Qana port off Yemen's Shabwa province coast in the Gulf of Aden. Approximately nine armed gunmen stormed the tanker, which was carrying approximately 2,800 tons of diesel fuel, and redirected it across the Gulf of Aden toward the northeastern coast of Somalia. The vessel's crew of 12 — including Egyptian and Indian nationals — is now under pirate control. Yemen's coast guard launched recovery efforts and alerted international maritime partners, but the MT Eureka had cleared Yemeni waters by the time response assets were deployed. The MT Eureka seizure marks the third major piracy incident off Somalia in 10 days, after the Honour 25 (April 25, 17 crew including 10 Pakistanis) and the Sward general cargo vessel (April 27, 15 crew). At least four vessels have now been hijacked in the region since mid-April. Intelligence analysts have noted a possible coordination dimension between Houthi militia networks and Somali pirate groups — consistent with the UN Monitoring Group's 2024 documentation of an Al-Shabaab–Houthi weapons-for-piracy arrangement. EU NAVFOR Atalanta formally attributed the piracy resurgence to the Iran War redirecting counter-piracy naval assets to the Persian Gulf. The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) elevated the piracy threat level to 'severe' on May 1. The MT Eureka's diesel cargo was destined for civilian use; its seizure compounds fuel supply disruptions that have already tripled gas prices in Mogadishu in 2026.