A tanker has been hijacked in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Yemen in an attack believed to be linked to a resurgence of Somali piracy on Friday, according to maritime security officials and Somali authorities.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a vessel was boarded by “unauthorised personnel” while sailing east through the Gulf of Aden, about 65 nautical miles south of Yemen’s Al Mukalla port.
The agency advised other vessels operating in the area to “transit with caution” as details of the incident were being assessed.
Security officials from Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region identified the attackers as Somali pirates and said the hijacked vessel was the tanker MT Astana.
Puntland officials that seven armed men launched the attack after departing from a remote area near the Puntland coastal town of Garacad before travelling into the Gulf of Aden.
The tanker, which was sailing under the Tanzanian flag and was reportedly en route to the Puntland port city of Bosaso, was boarded approximately 65 nautical miles off Yemen’s southern coast.
The incident marks the second tanker hijacking in the region in three months.
In May, pirates seized the MT Eureka near Yemen’s Qana port.
Two other vessels were boarded by suspected pirates in the Indian Ocean in April, while several attempted attacks have also been reported in recent months.
Piracy incidents in the waters off Somalia had declined significantly in recent years following a major international naval security operation involving several countries.
However, maritime security experts say piracy activity appears to be returning, particularly in areas with limited naval patrols.
The Indian Ocean off Somalia remains heavily monitored by the European Union Naval Force’s anti-piracy mission, while parts of the Gulf of Aden have comparatively lighter security coverage.
Puntland officials said this security gap may have encouraged pirate groups to expand their operations into the area.
Maritime security firms said the attack appears unrelated to the ongoing conflict involving Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement and is more likely connected to Somali piracy.
British maritime security company Ambrey said the vessel issued a distress call at around 06:20 GMT and was not carrying an armed security team at the time of the attack.
The company assessed that the attackers were likely part of a pirate action group.
Vanguard, another UK-based maritime risk management firm, said the number of attackers, the circumstances of the boarding, and the condition of the vessel and crew remained unclear.
A maritime security source told Reuters that initial assessments indicated the incident was “related to Somali piracy rather than Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia.”
A South Korean warship has reportedly been deployed to the area as authorities continue efforts to assess the situation and monitor the vessel.
Shipping databases list the tanker’s operator as Exon Energy, a company based in the Marshall Islands.
The company was not immediately available for comment.