ISTANBUL: Somali pirates hijacked an oil tanker off Yemen’s eastern coast on Friday, triggering a coordinated maritime response by Yemeni authorities and international partners to track the vessel and safeguard shipping in the region.
The Yemeni Coast Guard said the tanker, identified as ASANA, was seized approximately 26 nautical miles off the coast of Hadramout province after it was attacked by a group of suspected Somali pirates.
Following the incident, the Coast Guard’s operations center activated emergency coordination with regional maritime authorities and international partners to verify the ship’s condition and support ongoing efforts to maintain security along one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
Yemeni officials said naval assets, including a Coast Guard patrol vessel, were dispatched toward the tanker, while aerial surveillance aircraft continued monitoring its movements.
According to preliminary reports, the tanker was traveling slowly in a southeasterly direction toward Somalia, with at least one individual observed near the vessel’s bridge. Authorities have not released details about the ship’s nationality or the condition of its crew.
The Coast Guard said it remains in close contact with relevant maritime agencies and will continue monitoring the situation as the response operation unfolds.
Earlier in the day, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a commercial vessel had been boarded by unauthorized individuals around 65 nautical miles south of Al Mukalla, Yemen, while sailing eastbound through the Gulf of Aden, an area that has witnessed renewed piracy concerns in recent months.
The latest incident highlights persistent security challenges in the waters linking the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, where international naval forces continue to monitor threats to commercial shipping.
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