Somali pirates hijacked the Tanzanian-flagged chemical and oil tanker MT Astana in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday, boarding the vessel 65 nautical miles off Yemen as it sailed toward Bosaso. The UKMTO reported unauthorized persons seized an eastbound ship in the area, while the Yemeni Coast Guard confirmed the tanker was taken by gunmen.
Seven gunmen originating from near Garacad, Puntland, seized the vessel after it sent a distress signal at 06:20 GMT, with no armed guards aboard. Security sources linked the attack to Somali pirates rather than Houthi forces, and the ship was later seen heading southeast toward Somalia. A South Korean warship was dispatched to the area.
The incident marks the second hijacking off Yemen since May, following the seizure of MT Eureka. The Joint Maritime Information Center recently raised the piracy risk level to significant, the second highest on its five-tier scale, following a resurgence of Somali pirate activity.