An oil tanker has been seized off the coast of Yemen in an attack carried out by Somali pirates, according to the Yemeni coastguard. The Astana was captured about 26 nautical miles off Hadramawt province on Friday, marking the latest in a series of hijackings re-emerging in the region this year.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), citing military sources, reported an “illegal boarding” 65 nautical miles south of the port of Mukalla, stating the vessel was boarded by “unauthorised personnel”. UKMTO urged vessels in the area to exercise caution and report suspicious activity, adding that the incident remains under investigation.
Early reports indicated a single person was spotted near the vessel’s bridge, and the tanker was moving slowly southeast towards Somalia. Yemeni authorities said they are coordinating with international partners to verify the tanker’s condition and track its movements. Naval vessels, including a Yemeni coastguard boat, were heading towards the ship, while aircraft conducted reconnaissance sorties.
The attack follows a marked resurgence in Somali piracy, which had been largely dormant for more than a decade until this year. The Astana was seized in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. The Gulf of Aden feeds into the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, the fastest maritime link between Asia and Europe, through which about 12-15% of global trade by value passes annually, along with about 30% of container traffic.
Between 2005 and 2012, Somali pirates were blamed for more than 1,000 attacks, worth approximately $400 million in ransom payments, prompting an international crackdown that all but ended hijackings by 2013. The shipping industry formally lifted its “high risk” designation for the Indian Ocean in 2023. However, since April, the French navy’s Mica Center has recorded 18 piracy incidents and hijackings, with at least three other vessels still held for ransom.
Analysts point to naval forces stretched thin by conflicts in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, shipping traffic pushed closer to Somali waters as vessels reroute, and instability in Somalia itself as key drivers of the renewed threat. Egypt’s foreign ministry said it is working to secure the release of Egyptian sailors held aboard the tanker Eureka, seized off Somalia in May.
On Thursday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas signed a Status of Forces Agreement with Djibouti, securing continued access and logistical support for ships and aircraft supporting its Atalanta and Aspides naval missions, which patrol the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. Speaking in Djibouti, Kallas said the Aspides mission alone has protected more than 670 merchant vessels and rescued 128 seafarers in under two and a half years.
Source: www.aljazeera.com