Ankara: Egypt confirmed Monday that an oil tanker carrying eight Egyptian sailors was hijacked off Yemen's coast and taken to Somalia. The incident has raised significant concerns regarding the safety of maritime activities in the region.

According to Anadolu Agency, Egypt is "closely monitoring the hijacking of the tanker M/T Eureka from Yemeni territorial waters, which was taken to Somali territorial waters," the Egyptian Foreign Ministry stated in an official announcement. The ministry revealed that Foreign Badr Abdelatty has instructed the embassy in Mogadishu to closely follow the situation of the eight Egyptian sailors aboard the hijacked tanker and work towards their swift and safe release.

Abdelatty has also called on the embassy to engage "at the highest level" with Somali authorities to ensure the safety and security of the sailors. This statement followed reports from Yemeni authorities who had previously indicated that the vessel was hijacked by pirates on May 2 off the coast of Shabwa Governorate in southwestern Yemen, involving 12 crew members consisting of Egyptian and Indian sailors.

On Sunday, the situation took a personal turn as the wife of an Egyptian sailor on the hijacked tanker appealed for the release of the sailors, indicating that pirates have demanded a ransom for their release. This demand highlights the critical nature of the situation and the urgency for intervention.

The Somali coast, which had witnessed widespread piracy activity between 2008 and 2018, had seen a decline in such incidents for several years. However, piracy activities have resurfaced in late 2023, amid rising regional tensions, posing renewed threats to maritime security.