Somali pirates hold tanker Asana and crew hostage off Puntland

Somali pirates have seized the Tanzanian‑flagged chemical tanker M/T Asana in the Gulf of Aden and are holding its 19‑member crew near the coastal village of Jifle in the semi‑autonomous Puntland region of Somalia. The crew comprises 11 Indians, five Syrians, two Yemenis and one Egyptian. The vessel was captured off Al‑Mukalla, Yemen, before being taken northward toward Puntland, where pirates may move it further south toward Mudug.

The hijacking follows a recent resurgence of piracy in the Gulf of Aden, with other seized ships such as the Syrian‑flagged cargo M/V Sward already anchored nearby. Increased shipping traffic through alternative routes, caused by tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, has heightened the risk of attacks on this key maritime corridor.