Tanker seized off Yemen as suspected Somali piracy wave deepens
The seizure of the tanker off Yemen's Hadramawt coast has added to concerns about a renewed piracy threat in the Gulf of Aden. The vessel, identified as Astana, was reported seized about 26 nautical miles off the coast, while the UK Maritime Trade Operations centre said there had been an illegal boarding 65 nautical miles south of Mukalla. Early reports said the tanker was moving slowly southeast towards Somalia.
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Yemeni coastguard officials said the attack was carried out by suspected Somali pirates, and maritime authorities urged ships in the area to exercise caution. UKMTO said the vessel had been boarded by unauthorised personnel and that the incident remained under investigation. Yemeni authorities said they were coordinating with international partners and maritime agencies to verify the tanker's condition and track its movements.
Naval vessels, including a Yemeni coastguard boat, were reported heading towards the ship, while aircraft carried out reconnaissance flights overhead. The incident is significant because it took place in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, linking the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. That route carries a large share of global trade, including a substantial proportion of container traffic, making any disruption a concern for shipping companies and insurers.
The attack also fits a broader pattern of piracy activity that has re-emerged this year after more than a decade of relative quiet. Between 2005 and 2012, Somali pirates were blamed for more than 1,000 attacks and prompted an international naval crackdown that sharply reduced hijackings by 2013. The shipping industry later lifted its high-risk designation for the Indian Ocean in 2023, but recent incidents suggest the security picture is changing again.
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Since April, the French navy's Mica Center has recorded 18 piracy incidents and hijackings, with at least three other vessels still held for ransom, according to the supplied material. Analysts have pointed to naval forces being stretched by conflicts in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, while shipping traffic has been pushed closer to Somali waters as vessels reroute. That combination may be creating conditions that make attacks more feasible.
What remains unclear is the condition of the crew, who is in control of the tanker, and whether the vessel will be taken further toward Somalia or intercepted. It is also not yet known whether this incident will trigger a wider maritime security response in the region. For now, authorities and shipping operators are watching for confirmation of the ship's location and any change in its course.
A tanker has been hijacked in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Yemen in what appears to be the latest suspected Somali piracy attack in the region. The vessel was boarded while sailing east, according to a UK maritime safety organisation, which warned other ships to transit with caution. Somali security officials in Puntland said the attackers were Somali.
Puntland officials separately identified the vessel as MT Astana, a Tanzanian-flagged tanker bound for Bosaso in Puntland. They said seven gunmen seized the ship after setting off from a remote area near Garacad, a port town in Puntland. The tanker was boarded about 65 nautical miles off Yemen, according to those officials.
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The incident is the second hijacking of a vessel off Yemen since May, when the MT Eureka was seized near the port of Qana. It also follows two other pirate boardings in the Indian Ocean in April, as well as several unsuccessful attacks in the wider area. The latest case adds to concerns that piracy is re-emerging after several years of relative quiet.
The Gulf of Aden remains a strategically important shipping route linking the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. For years, the area was associated with a major piracy crisis that prompted a coordinated naval response involving several countries. That effort helped drive down attacks, but the latest incidents suggest the security picture may be changing again.
The contrast between the Gulf of Aden and the better-patrolled Indian Ocean is also significant. According to Puntland officials, the Gulf of Aden is more lightly protected, which may have made it more attractive to attackers. The reported route of the hijacked tanker, from Tanzania-flagged service toward Bosaso, underlines the commercial exposure of vessels moving through these waters.
What remains unclear is the condition of the crew and the current control of the vessel. It is also not yet clear whether the hijacking will prompt a wider security response from regional or international maritime forces. For now, shipping operators are being urged to remain cautious as the situation develops.
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