Armed assailants believed to be Somali pirates have taken control of the chemical and products tanker Asana in the Gulf of Aden, triggering an international naval response in waters south of Yemen.
The vessel was boarded by unauthorised personnel while transiting east about 65 nautical miles south of the Yemeni port of Al Mukalla on 17 July, according to UK Maritime Trade Operations.
Maritime security sources identified the ship as Asana and said the attackers appeared to be in control. An initial assessment linked the incident to Somali piracy rather than another armed group operating from Yemen, although the identity of the boarders has not been officially confirmed.
Asana issued a distress call at about 0620 GMT and did not have an armed security team on board at the time, according to British maritime security company Ambrey.
Ship-tracking data showed Bosaso in Somalia as its declared destination. A South Korean warship was in the area, while efforts were under way to assist the tanker and establish what had happened, according to an official with the European Union’s Aspides naval mission.
“Details regarding the number of assailants, the circumstances of the boarding, and the status of the vessel and crew remain unclear,” British maritime risk management company Vanguard said.
Commercial vessel databases identify Asana as IMO 9035838, a 1992-built chemical and oil products tanker of about 10,960 dwt. MarineTraffic and VesselFinder list it under the Tanzanian flag, although the flag had not been independently confirmed by maritime security sources immediately after the boarding.
The incident follows another suspected pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden on 1 July, when four armed men boarded a vessel about 76 nautical miles south of Balhaf, Yemen. The attackers caused minor damage to the bridge before leaving, and the crew remained safe.