Pirates hijack two ships off Somalia

Two commercial ships were hijacked in separate incidents this week off the Horn of Africa, reviving piracy concerns in the region. The Eritrea-flagged oil products tanker MT Sibu 1 was boarded by six armed men in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen on Thursday and diverted toward Somalia. Its crew of 20 includes 16 Indians. The Cameroon-flagged MV Lutuf, carrying weapons for a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu, was taken off Somalia's Puntland region on Monday; its 10-member crew includes six Indians. The vessel, owned by Polar Movement Shipping, was taken toward the Nugaal coast. The United Kingdom — Naval co-operation and guidance for shipping reported the hijacking of MT Sibu 1. The status of both ships and cargoes remains unclear, and Indian and Turkish authorities have not commented. India is the world's second-largest supplier of seafarers, exposing its nationals to such attacks; ten Indian seafarers have died in attacks since the start of the Middle East conflict.