1 pirate killed by coast guards during a ship rescue operation in Somalia

Puntland authorities announced that their coastal security forces have successfully retaken the oil products tanker MT Sibu 1, which was hijacked by Somali pirates in August 2026. One pirate was killed, four others were wounded, and 42 were arrested during the operation. All 20 crew members aboard the vessel are safe and unharmed.

Bile Mahamud Qabowsade, Puntland’s deputy information minister, told the BBC that the crew—whose nationalities could not yet be fully confirmed—were uninjured in the raid. The tanker is now being escorted to Puntland ports. He attributed the delay in launching the operation to the ongoing summer monsoon season. “The pirates will be brought to justice,” he said. “No hijacked ship will be allowed to remain in Puntland waters tonight.”

Saciid Muumin Axmed, a spokesperson for the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF), said the carefully planned operation lasted nearly 40 hours and ended with the recovery of the vessel near the coast of Mudug region. He confirmed that neither Puntland forces nor the crew sustained any casualties.

MT Sibu 1, which flies the Eritrean flag, was seized on 20 August 2026 while sailing approximately 136 nautical miles east of Al Mukalla, Yemen, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The ship’s crew first reported an unidentified vessel approaching before six armed men boarded and took control, diverting the tanker toward Somalia. Of the 20 crew members, 16 are Indian, with the others reported to be Syrian, Sudanese and Iraqi nationals.

The vessel has a prior history outside piracy. Previously named SEAMULL, it was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in December 2025 for allegedly transporting Iranian petroleum products on multiple occasions while managed by a UAE-based company. It later changed both its name and flag.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) noted on 24 August that Sibu 1 was the sixth vessel held by pirate groups in the region at the time, with more than 90 seafarers then in captivity. The IMO described the situation as a resurgence of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and surrounding waters. Other ships hijacked since April include Honor 25, Sward, Eureka, Asana and Lutuf. While global piracy incidents declined in the first half of 2026, Somali piracy remained a significant threat, with four vessels taken in the region between April and May alone, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

Puntland officials reiterated claims that pirate groups receive support from actors both inside and outside Somalia. “Information currently held by the government indicates that these acts of piracy are being encouraged and backed by elements outside Somalia and within Puntland,” Axmed said. An investigation is ongoing, and further details will be released once it concludes. No specific government, organisation or company was named.

PMPF and other Puntland forces said they are continuing planned operations aimed at clearing pirate groups from the region’s coastline. “As long as piracy is not eradicated from Puntland and the security and stability of our shores are not fully restored, these operations will continue,” Axmed stated.

Puntland has long maintained naval forces along the northeastern Somali coast, an area that served as a major hub for Somali pirate groups in previous years. Pirate activity dropped sharply in the 2010s following local and international naval operations combined with stronger shipboard security measures, but concerns over a possible revival have grown this year.