A chemical tanker was hijacked by armed men suspected of Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen, with the attackers taking control of the vessel and steering it towards Somalia, Reuters reported.
The tanker, Asana, sent a distress signal at around 0620 GMT on Friday after armed men boarded the vessel roughly 65 nautical miles south of Yemen's Al Mukalla port, according to maritime security agencies.
The ship was sailing east in the Gulf of Aden and had listed Somalia's Bosaso port as its next destination.
Initial assessments suggested the incident was linked to Somali piracy rather than Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militia, according to a maritime security source cited by Reuters.
British maritime security firm Ambrey said the vessel did not have an armed security team and the attackers were suspected to be part of a pirate action group.
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The European Union's Aspides naval mission said efforts were underway to assist the tanker and establish the circumstances of the incident.
A South Korean warship was also reported to be operating in the area.
Yemen's Regional Maritime Information Exchange Center said the incident showed clear signs of piracy aimed at holding the ship and crew for ransom.
The status and safety of the crew remained unclear.
The hijacking comes amid a rise in attempted attacks on vessels in the Gulf of Aden, raising fresh concerns over maritime security along key shipping routes connecting the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean.
According to the ICC International Maritime Bureau, nine piracy-related incidents were recorded off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden between January and June, including four hijackings—up from three during the same period last year, Reuters reported.
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