Indian naval forces rescued 22 Indian seafarers Friday after pirates hijacked two foreign-flagged vessels near Somalia and Yemen.
The Cameroon-flagged MV Lutuf, carrying six Indian nationals among its crew, was seized off Somalia’s Puntland coast this week.
The Eritrean-flagged MT Sibu, an oil tanker with 16 Indians among 20 crew members, was hijacked Thursday off Yemen’s coast.
India’s High Commission in Nairobi said all 22 Indian seafarers aboard the two vessels were reported safe.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi remained in contact with relevant authorities to secure the crews’ wellbeing.
The hijackings mark a fresh flare-up of piracy stalking the shipping lanes off Somalia and Yemen this year.
The International Maritime Bureau recorded 38 piracy and armed robbery incidents worldwide in early 2026, including five hijackings.
Somali pirates accounted for 94% of crew members taken hostage during that period, the bureau reported.