Ship in the Gulf of Aden, protected from pirates with barbed wire (archive image).Image: Imago
Armed men hijack a tanker off Yemen and head for Somalia. Now there is growing concern that the pirates will return.
July 19, 2026, 3:38 amJuly 19, 2026, 3:38 am
Suspected Somali pirates have taken control of a tanker in the Gulf of Aden. The attackers boarded the “Asana” on Friday off the coast of Yemen and then apparently steered the ship towards Somalia. Nothing is yet known about the fate of the crew.
The British maritime authority UKMTO spoke of an “illegal entry” into the ship around 65 nautical miles – around 120 kilometers – south of the Yemeni port city of Al-Mukalla. Military authorities reported that “unauthorized persons” had gotten on board, the organization said. Other ships were asked to transit the area with particular caution.
Tanker apparently made an emergency call
According to media reports, the “Asana” is an oil and chemical tanker flying the Tanzanian flag. The ship was on its way to the port of Bosaso in Puntland and apparently did not have an armed security team. The British security company Ambrey believes that Somali pirates are behind the hijacking.
The tanker had made an emergency call before taking over. A South Korean navy ship then set out to provide support, the AP news agency reported, citing Ambrey. It initially remained unclear whether the emergency services had now reached the tanker.
The Yemeni coast guard said the distance to the mainland was around 26 nautical miles – around 48 kilometers. After the hijacking, the ship reportedly moved slowly in a southeasterly direction toward the Somali coast. Yemeni authorities used a patrol boat and reconnaissance aircraft to track the tanker’s route.
Piracy is on the rise again
The incident is part of a new series of pirate attacks in the region. Since April, several merchant ships have been hijacked or attacked by gunmen off Somalia and the Gulf of Aden. Another tanker was hijacked off the Yemeni coast in May.
After its peak around 15 years ago, piracy in the Horn of Africa had been significantly reduced by international naval operations, armed guards and better protective measures. Security experts see the reduced presence of international warships as a reason for the return of pirates. Many naval units are now more concerned with the conflicts in the Red Sea and especially in the Persian Gulf – the Strait of Hormuz.
The Gulf of Aden is one of the most important shipping routes. The route connects the Indian Ocean with the Mediterranean via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Attacks in the area can therefore have far-reaching consequences for international trade in goods and energy.