Somali pirates are reported to have collaborated with Yemen’s Houthi movement in the hijacking of the oil tanker M/T Eureka, which is currently being held off the coast of Puntland’s Bari region.

According to reports, the Houthis assisted the pirates in seizing the vessel on 2 May near the Yemeni coastal city of Shabwa.

Sources familiar with the matter confirmed that the Houthis are also holding three Somali nationals believed to be connected to the pirate group, reportedly as guarantors linked to the operation.

The pirates and the Houthi group are said to be demanding a ransom for the release of the vessel. Reports indicate that the latest round of negotiations has reached approximately $10 million, according to Drop Site News.

The M/T Eureka, an oil tanker that was sailing under the flag of Togo before its capture, was carrying a crew that included eight Egyptian nationals.

Pirate groups are currently believed to be holding three commercial vessels along the Puntland coastline, with reports suggesting that substantial ransom demands have been made for their release.