Pirates hijack oil tanker off the coast of Somalia

Piracy, once notorious in this stretch of the Indian Ocean, has made a comeback in recent years. Somalia piracy: Hijackers seize oil tanker and take 17 crew hostage Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Piracy near the Somali coast declined after 2011 following international intervention but has resumed in recent years A man with his back to the camera stands on some rocks by the see. he is holding a rifle across his shoulders. Pirates hijack oil tanker off the coast of Somalia Pirates have hijacked an oil tanker with 17 crew that was sailing near the Somali coast, according to multiple security officials who spoke to the BBC. The ship, Honour 25, was overrun late on Wednesday by six gunmen, when it was approximately 30 nautical miles offshore, the officials said. Until three years ago piracy had almost disappeared in this stretch of the Indian Ocean once notorious for hijackings, but it has since made a comeback with fishing trawlers or container ships targeted. The seizure of a tanker headed for the Somali capital, Mogadishu, is likely to increase anxiety in the city where petrol prices have already tripled since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran. It was carrying 18,500 barrels of oil, security officials from Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region told the BBC. The hijacked ship departed the port of Berbera, in the self-declared republic of Somaliland, on 20 February and arrived near the coast of the United Arab Emirates shortly after the conflict began, according to the ShipAtlas website. The shipping map then shows it circling in the waters close to the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz before turning around on 2 April and making its way towards Mogadishu. Under the control of the pirates, the vessel, carrying 17 crew - 10 Pakistanis, four Indonesians, one Indian, one Sri Lankan and one from Myanmar, has anchored close to the Somali shore between the fishing towns of Xaafun and Bander Beyla. Five more armed men have since boarded the Honour 25, sources said. Officials believe the hijackers set off from a remote area near Bander Beyla. It is unclear how they were able to intercept and take control of the oil tanker. Neither the Somali authorities nor the European Naval Force, which oversees anti-piracy operations in Somali waters, has release a statement on the hijacking. A fisherman-turned-pirate looking directly at the camera through a blue patterned scarf wrapped around his head only allowing his eyes to peep through - Eldoret, Somalia Somali piracy 2.0 - the BBC meets the new robbers of the high seas A photo of the vessel and the hijackers released by the navy Is there a fresh wave of piracy off Somalia's coast? Risking death to smuggle alcohol past Somali bandits and Islamist fighters A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News Africa Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent. for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Jermaine Grant is accused of attended a training camp in Somalia and other terrorist activities. Councillor Yassin Mohamud said he intended to "use this platform to bring people together" A Turkish government-owned drilling ship is expected to arrive in Somali waters later this week. A Ghanaian national was confronted by South Africans in a viral clip and questioned about his immigration status. What court papers and sources close to the investigation have told the BBC about the scope of the plan. William Ruto says Kenyans speak "some of the best English in the world" while it is hard to understand Nigerians. Cyril Ramaphosa said the suspension was because of the critical role Fannie Masemola plays in fighting crime. Opposition parties accused security forces but the official report does not say who was responsible.