Somali Pirates Hijack Tanzanian‑Flagged Tanker off Yemen

Tue Sep 08 2026 21:30:29 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A tanker under the Tanzanian flag was seized by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, the second such attack in three months, according to UK maritime officials.

News outlets confirm that the MT Astana was boarded by a group of Somali gunmen near Yemen’s coast, bringing an alarming resurgence to piracy in the Gulf of Aden. The UK Maritime Safety Organisation warned vessels to proceed with caution following the attack. Puntland security officials traced the hijackers to a remote area near Garacad and noted the tanker was on its way to Bosaso. The incident marks the second hijacking in the region since May, amid losing aggressive naval patrols. Maritime authorities are reassessing patrol coverage in response to the growing threat.

Somali pirates seized the MT Astana, a Tanzanian‑flagged tanker, 65 nautical miles off Yemen’s coast, as it sailed eastward.

The UK Maritime Safety Organisation reported an "unauthorised" boarding that forced the vessel to halt, while Puntland officials said seven gunmen had staged the takeover from a remote area near Garacad.

The tanker was bound for Bosaso in Puntland when the attack occurred, marking the second hijack in the Gulf of Aden since the MT Eureka near Qana in May.

Two other ships were boarded by pirates in the Indian Ocean in April, signalling a worrying resurgence of piracy following the decline it enjoyed after three years of joint naval operations.

Maritime authorities warn ships to exercise caution while the Gulf of Aden is less patrolled than the Indian Ocean, a factor that has drawn the pirates’ attention.