Mohammad Sio
17 July 2026•Update: 17 July 2026
Somali pirates seized an oil tanker off Yemen's eastern coast on Friday, prompting Yemeni authorities to coordinate with international maritime partners in response, the Yemeni Coast Guard said.
In a statement, the Coast Guard said the oil tanker ASANA was hijacked about 26 nautical miles off the coast of Hadramout province after coming under attack by a group of Somali pirates.
The agency said its operations center immediately began coordinating with international partners and maritime authorities operating in the area to verify the vessel's status and support efforts to ensure the safety of navigation.
According to the latest available information, naval units, including a Yemeni Coast Guard patrol boat, were heading toward the tanker while aerial surveillance missions monitored the situation.
The Coast Guard said preliminary information indicated that one person had been seen near the vessel's bridge, while the tanker was moving slowly southeast toward Somalia.
It said it would continue coordinating with relevant partners and closely monitoring developments.
The agency did not disclose the tanker's nationality.
Earlier Friday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a vessel had been boarded by "unauthorized personnel" about 65 nautical miles south of Al Mukalla, Yemen, while transiting eastbound through the Gulf of Aden.
