Mogadishu, April 25 — Somali pirates have seized a fuel tanker carrying 17 crew members off the country's coast while it was sailing through the Indian Ocean, security officials told the BBC on Friday.

The vessel, identified as Honour 25, was reportedly captured late Wednesday night by six armed men while it was around 30 nautical miles from shore.

Officials from the semi-autonomous Puntland region said the tanker was transporting a cargo of 18,500 barrels of fuel.

Although piracy off Somalia's coast had largely declined over the past three years, attacks on fishing vessels and commercial ships have resurfaced in recent months, raising fresh concerns over maritime security in the region.

The hijacking comes at a particularly sensitive time for Mogadishu, where the vessel was headed.

Fuel prices in the Somali capital have already tripled since the outbreak of conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, disrupting regional supply routes and increasing pressure on local markets.

Analysts say the seizure of the tanker could further worsen fears of fuel shortages and rising inflation in the city.

The Honour 25 had departed from the port of Berbera in Somaliland on February 20 and later reached the coast of the United Arab Emirates shortly after regional fighting escalated, before beginning its final journey toward Mogadishu.

Authorities have not yet confirmed the condition of the crew or whether any ransom demands have been made.