Archive · 31 Jul 2026
Merchant Ship Hijacked Off Yemen Now Held by Somali Pirates
A big tanker called the MT Asana was taken by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, near Yemen.
The ship is now stuck in Somali waters, in a place called Puntland.
The crew had 19 people from India, Syria, Yemen, and Egypt.
A local resident saw the pirates bring food to the ship.
The UK said this was a hijack because the ship was moved into Somali waters.
MT Asana, a Tanzanian-flagged fuel and chemical tanker, was hijacked in Yemeni waters in the Gulf of Aden.
The ship is now held by Somali pirates in the Puntland region of Somalia.
Crew included 19 members: 11 Indians, 5 Syrians, 2 Yemenis, and 1 Egyptian.
Pirates transported food to the ship, observed by a local resident.
UK Maritime Trade Operations classified the incident as a hijack after the vessel was moved into Somali waters.
- Who
- Somali pirates and the crew of the MT Asana
- What
- Hijacking of the MT Asana in Yemeni waters
- When
- Last week (reported July 23, 2023)
- Where
- Gulf of Aden, now in Somali waters near Puntland
- Ship name
- MT Asana
- Flag
- Tanzania
- Cargo type
- Fuel and chemical tanker
- Crew composition
- 19 members: 11 Indians, 5 Syrians, 2 Yemenis, 1 Egyptian
- Current location
- Somali waters, Puntland region
- Incident classification
- Hijack (UK Maritime Trade Operations)