The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) issued a warning this morning (Friday) following an unusual incident that occurred in the Gulf of Aden, approximately 65 nautical miles south of the city of Al-Mukalla in Yemen. According to the report, unauthorized parties boarded a vessel while it was sailing east in the area.
According to the information published, the vessel that was attacked is a tanker named ASANA, carrying a cargo of chemical substances. The tanker’s stated destination was the port of Bosaso in Somalia, but at this stage it has not been reported what happened to it after the incident.
At this stage it is not clear who is behind the boarding of the vessel, and it has not been announced whether this was an action carried out by the Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen or another party. The military authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the incident, and have not yet released further details.
Following the incident, the UKMTO called on vessels passing through the Gulf of Aden to exercise extreme caution and continue to immediately report any unusual or suspicious activity in the area, which is considered one of the world’s most important and sensitive shipping lanes.