Aden (South24 Center)

The New York Times reported on Sunday (May 3) that the hijacking of the oil tanker "MT EUREKA" off the coast of Yemen reflects an alarming escalation in maritime piracy, amid indications of potential coordination between Somali pirates and the Houthi group.

The newspaper quoted a Somali official from the Puntland region, along with informed experts, as saying that the attack was carried out by armed Somali pirates, with suspicions of Yemeni involvement. Investigations are ongoing into potential links to armed groups, including the Houthis.

The official noted that the incident is part of a rising wave of ship hijackings off the Horn of Africa since last April.

According to the report, the attack has raised concerns among Yemeni and Somali authorities about a possible resurgence of coordination between pirates and the Houthis. Data suggests previous cooperation between the two sides, involving a reciprocal exchange of technical and intelligence support on one hand, and the execution of hijackings and detentions on the other.

The report highlighted that the hijacking of the Togo-flagged tanker coincided with broader disruptions in vital maritime corridors. Regional tensions have disrupted oil flows and increased shipping costs, prompting some companies to reroute their vessels away from the المنطقة.

The oil tanker "MT EUREKA" was hijacked on Saturday (May 2) off the coast of Shabwa Governorate, South Yemen. The Yemeni Coast Guard said that gunmen boarded and seized control of the vessel before directing it toward the Somali coast.

On the same day, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) recorded two separate incidents of suspicious maritime activity involving small boats approaching commercial vessels, one of which carried seven-armed individuals.

According to data from VesselFinder, a website specializing in global ship tracking, the "MT EUREKA" is classified as a products tanker flying the Togo flag (IMO 1022823) and was built in 2006. The data showed the vessel in a “stopped” status after falling out of coverage range.

The last Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal was transmitted approximately one day and 18 hours before the incident was reported—specifically on the evening of April 30—with a recorded draught of about five meters. This suggests that tracking systems may have been disabled or turned off following the seizure.