Armed pirates seize oil tanker off Yemen, steer vessel toward Somalia

MUKALLA, Yemen — Suspected Somali pirates seized an oil tanker off Yemen's southeastern coast on Friday, Yemeni and British maritime authorities said, in the latest sign of a resurgence in piracy along one of the world's busiest shipping routes.

Yemen's coast guard said the tanker Astana was hijacked about 26 nautical miles (48 kilometres) off Hadramawt province, while the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), citing military sources, reported an "illegal boarding" about 65 nautical miles (120 kilometres) south of the port of Mukalla.

UKMTO said the vessel had been boarded by "unauthorised personnel" and urged ships in the area to exercise caution while investigations continued.

Initial reports indicated a person had been seen near the vessel's bridge and that the tanker was moving slowly southeast towards the Somali coast.

Yemeni authorities said they were coordinating with international maritime agencies and partners to monitor the vessel, while naval assets, including a Yemeni coast guard boat and reconnaissance aircraft, were deployed to track its movements.

The hijacking comes amid a sharp increase in suspected Somali piracy after more than a decade of relative calm.

Between 2005 and 2012, Somali pirates carried out more than 1,000 attacks, collecting an estimated $400 million in ransom payments before an international naval crackdown sharply reduced the threat.

The shipping industry removed the Indian Ocean from its "high risk" designation in 2023, but piracy has resurged this year. Since April, France's MICA Center has recorded 18 piracy-related incidents, with several vessels still being held by hijackers.

Security analysts attribute the renewed attacks to reduced naval patrols as international forces focus on conflicts in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, changing shipping routes that bring vessels closer to Somalia's coast, and continued instability inside Somalia.

The Gulf of Aden is a key maritime corridor linking the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, through which roughly 12% to 15% of global trade and about 30% of the world's container traffic passes each year.

GAROWE ONLINE