In brief
On Friday, Somali security officials confirmed that seven gunmen hijacked the MT Astana, a tanker heading to Bosaso, 65 nautical miles off Yemen’s coast. This seizure is the second vessel taken in the Gulf of Aden since May, after the MT Eureka was seized near Qana. The incident highlights the decline of naval patrols in the region, with the EU’s presence in the Indian Ocean leaving a security gap that the new wave of pirates are exploiting. Sources report the attack came from Puntland and that the tanker was flying a Tanzanian flag while en route to Bosaso.
Somali Pirates Hijack MT Astana Off Yemen Coast
A squad of seven gunmen seized the Tanzanian‑flagged MT Astana off the Gulf of Aden, 65 nautical miles south of Yemen, on Friday. The incident was confirmed by Puntland officials and the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency.
The tanker was headed to Bosaso in Puntland when it was boarded. Officials say the attackers likely started from the remote port town of Garacad before moving into the wider waters of the Gulf of Aden. The MT Astana is the second vessel hijacked in the region in three months; the first was the MT Eureka near the port of Qana last May.
“Vessel was boarded by unauthorised personnel as it sailed east,” the UKMTO reported. Ships in the area have been advised to exercise caution. The incident sheds light on the changing security landscape in the Gulf of Aden, where a lack of naval patrols compared with the heavily defended Indian Ocean has made the waters more vulnerable to piracy.
Patrolling forces such as the EU Naval Force are active in the Indian Ocean but have less presence in the Gulf of Aden, a factor likely contributing to this new wave of piracy. The hijacked vessel’s location 65 nm off Yemen underscores the need for enhanced maritime security and cooperation among regional navies.
For a deeper look into the maritime threat, readers can explore BBC’s feature on “Somali piracy 2.0 – The new robbers of the high seas” and the map showing the incident’s precise coordinates.
