Somalia’s Puntland maritime police have retaken the oil products tanker SIBU 1 after the vessel was seized by pirates in the Gulf of Aden on 20 August 2026.

Mohamed Jama, a commander with the Puntland Maritime Police Force, told Reuters on 25 September 2026 that the vessel had been freed during a counter-piracy operation launched two days earlier. He said the pirates involved were under the control of Puntland forces.

Puntland authorities told AFP that security forces pursued SIBU 1 before intercepting the tanker at sea south of Garacad. According to the authorities, one pirate was killed, four were wounded and 15 were captured. One police officer was injured, while all 20 crew members were rescued safely.

UK Maritime Trade Operations recorded the original incident about 136 nautical miles east of Al Mukalla, Yemen. According to UKMTO, six armed people boarded the tanker and took control of the vessel on 20 August.

Associated Press reported following the hijacking that SIBU 1 was carrying 20 crew members. Sixteen were Indian nationals, while the crew also included one Syrian, one Sudanese and one Iraqi. The nationality of the remaining crew member had not been established at the time of that report.

The tanker is subject to US sanctions. The US Treasury previously identified a vessel with IMO number 9204776 as SEAMULL and listed it as blocked property linked to UAE-based Qatrat Alnada Almasi Ship Management L.L.C. Treasury said the vessel had transported Iranian petroleum products, including naphtha and gasoil, on multiple occasions.

AFP also reported that HONOR 25, MT EUREKA and MT ASANA remained in pirate hands following the operation involving SIBU 1. Puntland officials said the three vessels had been moved south toward the Hobyo area.