* A Tanzanian-flagged tanker, the MT ASANA, was seized by seven suspected Somali pirates after leaving Yemen, then forced toward Somalia’s Puntland region.
* Authorities and international naval forces have released no public details on the crew’s fate, injuries or nationalities amid information gaps as the hijacked vessel remains offshore.
* The attack is part of a resurgence in Somali piracy across the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean, driven by persistent insecurity and reduced international patrols after years of calm.
MOGADISHU, Somalia — A Tanzanian-flagged tanker was hijacked by suspected Somali pirates off Yemen’s coast, security sources and local officials familiar with the incident said Sunday.
The commercial tanker has since been moved to waters off Somalia’s northeastern Bari region, according local officials.
The MT ASANA, a general tanker, was seized Friday after departing from Mukalla, Yemen, according to the sources. The vessel is now being held off the coast of Caluula in the Bari region of the semiautonomous state of Puntland.
Source: latimes
