Pirates off the coast of Somalia have taken control of an oil tanker with eight Sri Lankan crew members. This is the first incident of a large vessel falling into the hands of pirates since 2012.
The District Manager of the port town of Alula in Puntland, Somalia Mohamud Ahmed Eynab said the pirates have brought the vessel in off the coast of Alula.
John Steed, the head of the Oceans Beyond Piracy, said the Aris 13 had been transporting oil from Djibouti to Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. He further stated that the vessel had sent a distress call before it was taken, informing of two skiffs chasing it before it disappeared.
The pirates who took the oil tanker have not made any demands as of yet.
The boat in question belongs to the Panama Armi Shipping Company, and is managed by the Aurora Ship Management in the United Arab Emirates.
