A tanker, identified as the MT Astana, was hijacked on Friday by seven gunmen in the Gulf of Aden, according to three Puntland security officials. The vessel, sailing under a Tanzanian flag, was en route to the port of Bosaso in Puntland when it was boarded approximately 65 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen.
The pirates reportedly set off from a remote area near the Puntland port town of Garacad before making their way to the Gulf of Aden. This incident marks the second tanker hijacking in the region in the last three months, signaling a potential resurgence of piracy. While the Indian Ocean is more heavily patrolled by the European Union Naval Force's anti-piracy operations, the Gulf of Aden is less protected, which officials suggest may explain its increased use by pirates.
There have been multiple unsuccessful attacks in the area as piracy activity appears to be on the rise again.