Egypt Frees 8 Sailors Held Since May After Tanker Hijacking Off Somalia
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the crew of the M/T Eureka was freed after the vessel was seized off the Puntland coast on May 2. The ministry attributed the release to sustained diplomatic contacts between Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Somali and Yemeni officials.
Abdelatty has directed the Egyptian Embassy in Mogadishu to receive the sailors, check on their well-being and arrange their return to Egypt on the earliest available flight. During their captivity, the sailors stayed in contact with their families to reassure them about their safety.
The ministry said in May that the M/T Eureka had been hijacked near the Somali coast with eight Egyptian sailors aboard, and it ordered its embassy in Mogadishu to work for their safety and swift release.
On May 2, the Yemeni Coast Guard reported that an oil tanker had been hijacked off the coast of Shabwah province in southeastern Yemen and taken toward Somalia. It said the vessel was carrying 12 Egyptian and Indian sailors and 2,800 tons of fuel.
The incident comes amid a resurgence of maritime piracy in the region. Somali waters saw widespread piracy between 2008 and 2018, after which attacks declined for several years before re-emerging in late 2023 amid rising security tensions.
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