The vessel was intercepted approximately 26 nautical miles from Hadramawt province.
On Friday, the Tanzanian-flagged oil tanker ASANA was hijacked by Somali pirates off the southeastern coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden, according to the Yemeni Coast Guard.
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The vessel was traveling from Pakistan to Somalia and was intercepted approximately 26 nautical miles from Hadramawt province. Yemeni authorities are coordinating a possible response with international partners.
Yemeni Navy ships and Coast Guard patrol boats have moved toward the tanker, while reconnaissance flights are being conducted to assess the situation and determine immediate security measures.
The British Royal Navy, through UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), reported in an alert that a vessel had been boarded by “unauthorized personnel” near the port of Mukalla in the Gulf of Aden.
A chemical tanker, Asana, was hijacked by armed men while sailing through the Gulf of Aden on Yemen. Maritime security agencies said Somali pirates were likely behind the attack.
The vessel reportedly made a distress call, and a South Korean naval ship responded to assist. pic.twitter.com/htQiiTKfvV
— The Maritime (@themaritimenet) July 17, 2026
Attacks against oil tankers in this region have intensified in recent years, coinciding with the Houthi rebels’ campaign against commercial shipping in the Red Sea, although Somali pirates are also implicated.
The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) warned in a recent report that piracy and armed robbery attacks against ships surged in Somalia during the first half of 2026.
The IMB highlighted that, despite the global decline in incidents to their lowest level since 1992, Somalia is showing a worrying increase, reinforcing the need for international cooperation on maritime security.
#FromTheSouth News Bits | A joint Islamist front comprising Iran, Yemen, and the Lebanese resistance carried out a defensive operation amid continued attacks by Israel and the United States in the region. pic.twitter.com/9xSgLhJgm1
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) March 31, 2026
teleSUR: JP
Source: EFE
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