Somali pirates seize Asana tanker in Gulf of Aden under Tanzanian flag
Residents in Puntland say Somali pirates have taken control of the Asana fuel tanker, hijacked last week in the Gulf of Aden with a 20-member crew.
Key Takeaways
AITwo residents of Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region told Reuters on Thursday that a commercial vessel hijacked last week in Yemeni waters in the Gulf of Aden is now under the control of Somali pirates.
The ship, named Asana, is a fuel and chemical tanker sailing under the Tanzanian flag. One of the sources, who described himself as a former pirate, said the crew consists of 20 people, including eight Germans and 10 Filipinos.
Germany's foreign ministry stated that, as a general rule, it does not comment on the abduction of German citizens abroad. The other resident said he saw the pirates delivering food to the hijacked vessel.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported last week that unauthorized individuals boarded the ship in the Gulf of Aden and directed it toward Somali waters, classifying the incident as a hijacking.
Somali pirates caused widespread disruption off the Horn of Africa between 2008 and 2018. Although such incidents had declined, piracy activity has been on the rise again since late 2023.