Seven Somali pirates hijacked the Tanzanian-flagged tanker MT ASANA off the coast of Yemen.
Seven armed Somali pirates seized the Tanzanian-flagged general tanker MT ASANA off the coast of Yemen on Friday. The vessel was hijacked after departing from Mukalla and has since been moved to the waters off Caluula in the Bari region of Somalia. Public vessel-tracking data indicated that the MT ASANA was moving at an unusually slow speed of about 2 knots on Friday, a pace consistent with reports that the ship transmitted a distress signal during the seizure. While the exact number of crew members and their nationalities remain unknown, the ship is currently being held in the semiautonomous state of Puntland. The hijacking marks a significant resurgence of pirate activity in the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean following years of relative calm. Maritime security analysts suggest that a reduction in international naval patrols has contributed to the renewed threat. Puntland authorities, the vessel's owners, and international naval forces have yet to issue official public statements regarding the incident.