Six armed men seized control of an oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen and redirected it toward Somalia, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said Thursday.
The UKMTO said on US social media platform X that they “have received confirmation that the tanker has been boarded by six armed persons who are now in control of the vessel and redirecting (it) to Somalia.”
Authorities are investigating the incident, the agency added, advising vessels transiting the area to exercise caution and report suspicious activity.
The agency had earlier reported a tanker “broadcast a distress call on VHF 16 that they have been approached by an unauthorized vessel whilst travelling west in the Gulf of Aden.”
As of 1145GMT, there was no information on the identity of the tanker or its whereabouts, and no group had claimed responsibility for the incident.
Regional maritime routes, particularly the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, have faced heightened tensions following the Yemeni Houthi group’s announcement in July that it will impose a ban on vessels linked to Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia later announced the formation of a defensive maritime coalition to protect freedom of navigation in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The coalition includes the US, Yemen, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, Sudan, Morocco, the Maldives, Bangladesh, and New Zealand.
Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government, while Iran is accused of supporting the Houthis, who have controlled several provinces and cities, including the capital Sanaa, since 2014.
Piracy was also widespread off Somalia’s coast from 2008 to 2018 before declining. Incidents began rising again in late 2023 amid heightened regional security tensions.
Anadolu.