Suspected Somali pirates seize tanker near Yemen while being hijacked | Shipping News

The seizure of Asana is the latest in a fast-growing series of attacks sweeping the Gulf of Aden.

An oil tanker has been seized off the coast of YemenIn the attack, the coast guard of the country said it was carried out by Somali pirates. This is the latest in a string of carjackings that have happened in the area this year.

The Yemeni coast guard said the Asana was seized about 26 nautical miles (48km) from Hadramawt province on Friday.

The UK’s maritime safety agency, UKMTO, citing the military, said there was an “unauthorized landing” 65 nautical miles (120km) south of the port of Mukalla. It added that the ship was boarded by “unauthorized crew”.

UKMTO urged vessels in the area to exercise caution and report suspicious activity, adding that the incident was still under investigation.

Initial reports indicate that one person has been seen near the ship’s bridge and that the tank is moving slowly southeast towards Somalia.

Yemeni officials said they are cooperating with international organizations and maritime organizations in the region to confirm the ship’s condition and monitor its movement.

Naval vessels, including a Yemeni patrol boat, were said to be heading towards the ship, while planes flew in its direction.

Attacks follow a signal restart in Somali crime, which has been missing for more than a decade until this year.

Asana was caught in one of the busiest traffic jams in the world.

The Gulf of Aden feeds into the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, which is the fastest connection between Asia and Europe. About 12 to 15 percent of the world’s trade and value passes through the river every year, along with about 30 percent of the world’s traffic.

Between 2005 and 2012, Somali pirates held more than 1,000 hostages. approximately $400 million in ransom paymentswhich led to an international outcry that ended human trafficking by 2013.

The shipping industry has removed its “high risk” designation from the Indian Ocean in 2023, judging the risk has been sufficiently mitigated.

However, since April, the French navy’s Mica Center has recorded 18 thefts and hijackings, with at least three other vessels being held for ransom.

Analysts point out that the naval forces that have been weakened by the conflicts in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, the traffic approaching the waters of Somalia as the ships move and the instability. Somalia itself as a key driver of new threats.

EgyptThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at the end of last month that through its embassies in Mogadishu and Riyadh, it is working to secure the release of the Egyptian sailors who were on board the ship Eureka. to be caught in Somalia in May.

On Thursday, the head of the EU’s foreign policy, Kaja Kallas, signed the Status of Forces Agreement with Djibouti, to continue to receive the support of ships and aircraft to support the naval operations of Atalanta and Aspides, which are in charge of the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa.

Speaking in Djibouti, whose coast runs through the Bab-al-Mandeb chokepoint, Kallas said the Aspides operation alone has protected more than 670 commercial vessels and rescued 128 sailors within two and a half years.