Hijacking involving a tanker, Yemen
Issued: 5 months, 3 weeks ago
| Date | Reference | Region | Category | Aggressors | Source |
| 2026-05-02 05:00:00 | CW Alert 003- (May 26) | Indian Ocean | Hijack | Pirates | MSCIO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The MSCIO have reported an incident involving a tanker whilst at anchorage off Qana Port, Shabwa, Yemen. Initial assessments state that a number of armed individuals boarded and took control of the vessel which is reportedly underway, and assessed to be heading into the Gulf of Aden towards the Somali coast. EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta are investigating and the Yemen coast guard have been deployed to assist in locating the vessel. Clearwater will continue to investigate and update this alert upon receipt of confirmed information. UPDATE 1: MSCIO have reported that Operation Atalanta assets have confirmed the hijacking of the tanker vessel. The vessel is currently located at position 09°50’N 050°54’E. The incident remains on-going and is being closely monitored by Atalanta forces in coordination with regional partners. UPDATE 2: It has been reported that the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) has secured the release of the tanker during ongoing operations targeting suspected pirate groups in the Hulcaanod area of Bari Region. The fifteen crew, (eight Egyptian nationals, seven of other nationalities including Pakistan), were taken ashore and subsequently rescued with the assistance of local residents; all crew are reported safe. The suspected pirates reportedly abandoned the vessel and fled before PMPF forces could engage them, reportedly after becoming aware of the approaching security operation. Some reports indicate the suspected pirates attempted to run the vessel aground and set it alight before fleeing; the extent of any resulting damage has not been independently confirmed. Separately, more than eigtheen individuals suspected of involvement in piracy have reportedly been arrested, with security forces continuing operations to locate further persons of interest linked to the recovered vessels. | |||||