8 Egyptian sailors kidnapped aboard oil tanker off Somalia released

Egypt announced Wednesday the release of eight Egyptian sailors who had been held aboard an oil tanker hijacked off Somalia's Puntland region since May.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the sailors, who were aboard the M/T Eureka, were freed after the vessel was hijacked off the coast of Puntland on May 2.

Their release followed sustained diplomatic contacts by Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty with Somali and Yemeni officials, the ministry said.

Abdelatty also instructed the Egyptian Embassy in Mogadishu to receive the sailors, check on their well-being and arrange their return to Egypt on the earliest available flight.

The sailors remained in contact with their families during their captivity to reassure them about their safety.

The Foreign Ministry said in May that the M/T Eureka had been hijacked near the Somali coast with eight Egyptian sailors aboard and instructed its embassy in Mogadishu to work for their safety and swift release.

On May 2, the Yemeni Coast Guard said an oil tanker had been hijacked off the coast of Shabwah province in southeastern Yemen and taken toward Somalia. It said the tanker was carrying 12 Egyptian and Indian sailors and 2,800 tons of fuel.

Somali waters saw widespread piracy between 2008 and 2018. Piracy declined for several years before re-emerging in late 2023 amid rising security tensions in the region.