MT Eureka Diverted to Somalia After Gulf of Aden Hijacking — Pirates Now Hold Four Vessels in Escalating Surge

Multiple international outlets reported on May 3, 2026 on the hijacking of the Togo-flagged product tanker MT Eureka (3,300 DWT, owned by Royal Shipping Lines/UAE) by approximately nine armed Somali gunmen near Qana port off Yemen's Shabwa coast on May 2. The vessel, carrying approximately 2,800 tons of diesel fuel, was redirected by its captors across the Gulf of Aden toward the northeastern coast of Somalia — the same piracy corridor where the Honour 25 has been anchored since April 25. The MT Eureka's crew of 12 (including Egyptian and Indian nationals) remains under pirate control. Yemen's coast guard has launched recovery efforts in coordination with international partners, but the vessel has cleared Yemeni waters. The MT Eureka hijacking is at least the third (and possibly fourth) major piracy incident in 10 days: after the Honour 25 (April 25, 17 crew) and the Sward general cargo vessel (April 27, 15 crew). Analysts and maritime security experts are noting a possible coordination dimension between Houthi militias and Somali pirate networks, consistent with the UN Monitoring Group's 2024 documentation of an Al-Shabaab–Houthi weapons-for-piracy nexus. The Joint Maritime Information Center had elevated the piracy threat level to 'severe' on May 1. Pakistan's government has raised the Honour 25 situation through diplomatic channels with Somalia's government, which pledged cooperation in securing the release of the crew.