Pirates Threaten Crew Aboard Captured Oil Tanker Off Somalia’s Coast

Mogadishu (WDN) – Deep concern is mounting over the fate of 12 crew members held aboard a hijacked oil tanker off the coast of Somalia after their families revealed that the armed captors have issued new threats amid a dispute over ransom payments.

Relatives of the hostages say negotiations for their release remain ongoing but have entered a dangerous phase as disagreements over the transfer of ransom money threaten to derail an earlier agreement. The crew, consisting of eight Egyptian nationals and four Indian citizens, is reportedly enduring increasingly difficult conditions as tensions escalate between the vessel’s owners and the hijackers.

Family members disclosed that a ransom settlement had previously been reached, raising hopes that the months-long ordeal was nearing an end. However, delays in transferring the agreed funds reportedly prevented the deal from being implemented on schedule, triggering anger among the armed group and setting off a fresh wave of threats.

According to relatives, the hijackers have warned that they will take further measures if payment is not completed immediately. In a particularly alarming development, they reportedly threatened to move some of the hostages to remote locations in an effort to intensify pressure on the ship’s owners and negotiators.