Armed pirates have taken control of an oil tanker off the coast of Somalia, according to security officials.
The vessel, named Honour 25, carried 17 crew members when the attackers struck.
Officials said six armed men boarded the ship on Wednesday night while it sailed about 30 nautical miles from the Somali shoreline.
The attackers quickly overpowered the crew and seized control of the tanker.
The ship was transporting 18,500 barrels of oil, according to security sources in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region.
The tanker had left Berbera on February 20 before moving through waters near the United Arab Emirates, based on tracking data from ShipAtlas.
The vessel later circled near the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz before heading back toward Somali waters. It eventually changed course and moved toward Mogadishu.
Pirates now hold the ship near the coast between the fishing towns of Xaafun and Bander Beyla. The crew includes 10 Pakistanis, four Indonesians, one Indian, one Sri Lankan, and one person from Myanmar.
Security sources also report that five more armed men have boarded the vessel since the initial takeover.
Investigators believe the attackers launched from a remote area near Bander Beyla.
However, authorities have not yet explained how the pirates managed to intercept such a large tanker at sea.
The hijacking raises concerns because piracy had almost disappeared in the region for years.
In the past, the waters off Somalia were known for attacks on commercial ships, but security operations had reduced the threat significantly.
Officials have not yet issued any formal statement on the incident.
Neither the Somali government nor the European Naval Force, which monitors piracy in the region, has commented publicly so far.
