Somali Forces Rescue US-Sanctioned Tanker From Pirates

Puntland Maritime Police Force rescued the US-sanctioned oil tanker Sibu 1 and its 20 crew after pursuing and ambushing the vessel at sea south of Garacad in late September 2026. Mohamed Jama, base commander for the force, said the counter-piracy operation began two days earlier, the ship is free, and the pirates are in force custody. Pirates seized Sibu 1, formerly Seamull, on August 20, 2026 off Yemen and brought it into Somali waters. The United States sanctions the tanker over alleged links to Iran's shadow fleet oil network. An unnamed security official told AFP a large Puntland ship ambushed Sibu 1 while it was anchored south of Garacad; another said the tanker was caught off-guard. Puntland said it captured 15 suspected pirates and that one police officer was injured. Pursuit of Sibu 1 and three other hijacked tankers near Bander Beyla had forced the pirates south. Honour 25, MT Eureka and MT Asana remain held after being moved toward Hobyo in Galmudug. Honour 25 and MT Eureka carried fuel worth millions of dollars, with pirates reportedly offloading barrels for black-market sale. The International Maritime Organisation recorded at least 15 piracy attacks in 2026, the highest since 2013. Casualty counts for the rescue differ by source.