Updated information regarding the four ongoing piracy incidents in the Northern coast of Somalia: Motor Tanker HONOUR 25, Merchant Vessel SWARD, Motor Tanker EUREKA and Motor Tanker ASANA.
MT HONOUR 25 piracy incident:
The Palau-flagged Motor Tanker HONOUR 25 was hijacked off the northern coast of Somalia whilst en route to Mogadishu on 21 April. Her cargo consists of oil products and her crew comprises up to 17 people, most of them from Pakistan.
MV SWARD piracy incident:
On 26 April, the Merchant Vessel SWARD was hijacked off the northern coast of Somalia during her transit to Mombasa, transporting fertilizer. The flag of the vessel is Saint Kitts and Nevis and the crew on board is up to 15 people, most of them from Syria.
MT EUREKA piracy incident:
On 02 May, the Togo-flagged Motor Tanker EUREKA was hijacked while she was anchored off Qana Port, Shabwa, Yemen. Her port destination was Bosaso, the cargo is related to oil products, and the crewmembers are 12 people, 8 of them Egyptian.
MT ASANA piracy incident:
On 17 July 2026, the Motor Tanker ASANA was hijacked at approximately 65 Nautical Miles Southwest of Mukalla, Yemen. The port destination of the vessel was Bosaso and the cargo are oil products. The flag of the vessel is Tanzania, being the crew on board up to 22 people, half of them from India.
Overall situation
Currently, the four pirated vessels are anchored in the Northern coast of Somalia, inside territorial waters and very close to the coast, maintaining a short distance among them. EUNAVFOR ATALANTA continues monitoring the situation exercising pressure to the Pirate Action Groups in the area and in direct contact with Somali forces, exchanging relevant information effectively about the four piracy events.
Since the first piracy incident took place, ATALANTA’s Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO) issued multiple warning alerts to all vessels sailing in the vicinity to maintain heightened vigilance, adhere to Best Management Practices – Maritime Security, and report immediately any suspicious activity or relevant information to MSCIO and UKMTO.
ATALANTA maintains close contact with the owners of the vessels and has stablished a direct link with the flag nations of them. ATALANTA remains committed to support the successful liberation of the vessels and 67 crewmembers in captivity and as soon as possible.