Suspected Somali pirates seize tanker near Yemen amid wave of hijackings

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported that an oil tanker, the Asana, was seized off Yemen on Friday in what Yemeni coastguard officials described as an attack by suspected Somali pirates. The coastguard said the vessel was taken about 26 nautical miles, or 48km, from Hadramawt province, while the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said military sources had reported an illegal boarding 65 nautical miles, or 120km, south of Mukalla.

According to the report, UKMTO said the ship had been boarded by unauthorized personnel and advised vessels nearby to remain alert and report suspicious activity while the case is investigated. Early information cited by Al Jazeera indicated one person had been seen near the bridge and that the tanker was moving slowly southeast in the direction of Somalia. Yemeni authorities said they were working with international partners and maritime agencies to confirm the ship’s status and monitor its route, with naval and air assets reportedly moving toward the area.

The incident matters because it occurred in the Gulf of Aden, a major route linking the Red Sea and Suez Canal with Indian Ocean trade lanes. Al Jazeera noted that piracy off Somalia had been mostly subdued for more than a decade but has risen again this year, with the French navy’s Mica Center recording 18 piracy incidents and hijackings since April and at least three other vessels still held for ransom.

The report also pointed to wider security strains in nearby waters, including naval resources divided by tensions in the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz, rerouted shipping moving nearer Somali waters, and instability inside Somalia. The European Union recently reinforced access arrangements in Djibouti for naval missions operating around the Horn of Africa.