Product Tanker Hijacked off Yemen, Then Diverted to Somalia
In the continuing recent upsurge in Somali-associated piracy, the Togo-flagged oil products tanker Eureka (IMO 1022823) has been boarded off Yemen’s Shabwa governorate and redirected towards the Somali coastline. The track of the vessel suggests that the Eureka is being directed towards Qandala, in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland in northeast Somalia, where without a harbor it is likely to be moored offshore.
It is not clear who has seized the vessel, which is managed by Emirati interests. Qandala lies 50 miles east of Bosaso, where the UAE armed forces maintain an outpost and DP World has a facility. It is possible that the ship has been seized on the initiative of a party with a commercial dispute with the owners.
The 88-meter coastal vessel had set off from Sharjah on February 17, and had made it through the Strait of Hormuz before the outbreak of war. It loaded its cargo in Fujairah, then made passage to the small oil terminal at Qana, in Yemen’s Shabwa governorate, an area controlled by the Internationally Recognized Government. The Eureka left Qana on April 30, heading east and lingering off the Shabwa coastline for several days before being seized by pirates on May 2.
The Dubai-based UKMTO has reported that there were two separate incidents in the same area on May 1 and 2, which the masters of the ships concerned reported as possible piracy attempts. In the first, the master of a bulk carrier said his ship was approached by a skiff, with a fishing vessel acting in concert standing off. In the second incident, the master of another bulk carrier saw seven armed men approach in a skiff. Both bulk carriers were in the Maritime Security Transit Corridor (MSTC) at the time. The UKMTO has warned of heightened pirate activity in the Gulf of Aden area and seas off Puntland.
On April 26, the Palau-flagged oil products tanker Honour 25 and the St Kitts & Nevis-flagged cargo vessel Sward (MMSI: 511100524) were boarded and redirected towards Mareero and Gracad, respectively on the north and east coast of Puntland. The European Union Operation Atalanta counter-piracy naval force appears to have eyes on one of the hijacked vessels with a frigate close by.
Somali pirates may be attempting to take advantage of the diversion of US Navy ships away from the area. It is also possible that the withdrawal of UAE forces from some positions along the Gulf of Aden coastline has reduced oversight of the area. Additional traffic is also now passing along the MSTC, with cargo for Saudi Arabia all flowing along the corridor rather than being split with Saudi ports in the Gulf.
Bulker Evades Suspicious Approach South of Yemen
A safety warning went out to shipping on May 1 after an unidentified skiff approached a bulker sailing south of Yemen. The authorities believe there was a clear intent to board the vessel, but it was able to evade the incident by taking defensive measures and displaying its armed guards.
The incident took place approximately 92 nautical miles south of Al Mukalla, Yemen, in the Gulf of Aden. The nationality of the attackers was not determined, but it is near the Houthis ' strongholds, and there have been reports of increased activity by pirates coming from Somalia.
The unnamed bulker reported that a skiff with a black hull and carrying seven people aggressively approached. It said the individuals appeared to be heavily armed and intent on boarding the bulker. The skiff came within 10 meters (33 feet) of the vessel.
The bulker reported that it increased speed and took other evasive maneuvers. UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) is crediting the defensive maneuvers and the readiness of the crew and armed security guards for preventing the boarding.
The skiff aborted its approach and withdrew. It is unclear from the report if there was another vessel in the area working as a mothership.
EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta has issued multiple warnings over the past two weeks based on an increase in activity from Somalia. Several vessels have reported being approached, and in at least one case, the pirates and the security guards aboard a vessel departing Somalia traded fire. Two ships, a small tanker and a cargo ship, were seized and taken toward the Somali coast. Atalanta is working with the local authorities and monitoring the vessels, which continue to be controlled by the pirates.
Photos: Hijacked Car Carrier Galaxy Leader Has Partially Sunk
When Houthi rebels captured the car carrier Galaxy Leader in 2023, the vessel and crew were taken to a sheltered bay in Yemen, where they were detained and forced to await the end of hostilities in the Red Sea. The crew were finally released in January 2025, but the ship was not - and by its appearance in newly-released photos, it might never leave.
Galaxy Leader was hijacked by armed militants aboard a Houthi-operated helicopter on November 19, 2023. The orchestrated, carefully-filmed boarding was successful, and the terrorist group took control of the ship. The car carrier was diverted to Hodeidah, then relocated to Al Salif, both controlled by Houthi separatists. On arrival off Al Salif, Galaxy Leader became a popular tourist attraction, and at times a festival-like atmosphere persisted on board, with visitors freely coming and going via small launches.
The Galaxy Leader was operated by Isle of Man-based Ray Car Carriers, a firm with ownership ties to an Israeli shipping industry titan. At the time, Houthi leaders claimed that they were focusing their attacks on Israel-linked tonnage in protest of the military operation in Gaza.
The crew of Galaxy Leader were finally released in 2025, but the ship stayed on, and the Israeli government claimed that Houthi forces began using it as an observation post to track shipping in the Red Sea. The Israeli Air Force classified it as "terrorist infrastructure belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime" and bombarded it on July 6, 2025. Houthi sources also claimed two American air strikes on the vessel several months earlier, though these remain unconfirmed.
New imagery from As Salif suggests that Galaxy Leader would be difficult to remove. Damage from the airstrikes is evident at the forecastle, and the ship has partially sunk at the stern, leaving the bow high and dry. Wreck removal by refloating the ship or demolishing her in place would require resources not currently available in war-torn Yemen.
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