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Merchant ship hijacked off Yemen now held by Somali pirates, residents say

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • A merchant ship hijacked in the Gulf of Aden last week is now held by Somali pirates, according to local residents.
  • The vessel, identified as the MT Asana, is a Tanzanian-flagged fuel and chemical tanker with 20 crew members, including Germans and Filipinos.
  • Pirate activity in the region has increased since late 2023, following a period of reduced incidents between 2008 and 2018.

A merchant ship hijacked in the Gulf of Aden last week has been maneuvered into Somali waters and is now being held by Somali pirates, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed. The vessel, identified as the MT Asana, is a Tanzanian-flagged fuel and chemical tanker.

Two residents from Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region told Reuters that pirates were seen transporting food to the hijacked ship. One resident, who described himself as a former pirate, stated that there were 20 crew members on board the MT Asana. These included eight individuals from Germany and ten from the Philippines. Germany's Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the abduction of German nationals overseas as a matter of principle.

A merchant ship hijacked in Yemeni waters in the Gulf of Aden last week is now being held by Somali pirates.

— ReutersThis quote summarizes the main event as reported by Reuters.

Somali pirates previously caused significant disruption in the waters off the Horn of Africa between 2008 and 2018. After a lull, pirate activity began to increase again in late 2023. The UKMTO's confirmation of the hijacking highlights the renewed threat in this strategic choke point.

There were 20 crew members on board the MT Asana, including eight from Germany and 10 from the Philippines.

— Former pirateA former pirate provided details about the crew of the hijacked vessel.
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Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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