Suspected Somali pirates have hijacked a tanker in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen's coast, marking the second such seizure in the area since May, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) and Somali security officials. The incident adds to growing evidence that piracy is resurging in a region where hijackings had almost vanished over the past three years following a major multinational naval security operation, raising fresh concerns for shipping safety along this key trade route.

UKMTO confirmed a vessel was boarded by "unauthorised personnel" while sailing east, warning other ships to transit with caution. Puntland security officials identified the vessel as the Tanzanian-flagged tanker MT Asana, which was seized by seven gunmen roughly 65 nautical miles off Yemen while travelling to the Puntland port of Bosaso; the attackers reportedly launched from near the Puntland port town of Garacad. It follows the May seizure of the MT Eureka near Qana and two other boardings in the Indian Ocean in April, with officials suggesting the more lightly patrolled Gulf of Aden—unlike the EU Naval Force-monitored Indian Ocean—has become an attractive target for pirates.