Armed assailants have taken control of the chemical tanker Asana off the southern coast of Yemen, maritime security sources report.
The vessel, which had listed the Somali port of Bosaso as its next destination, was boarded in the Gulf of Aden on Friday.
This development follows other recent security incidents in the region, including the May seizure of the tanker Eureka, for which Somali pirates are demanding a $10 million ransom.
The incident is being treated as a suspected Somali pirate hijack.
The seizure highlights the enduring vulnerability of shipping lanes in the region, where piracy remains a tangible threat to commercial vessels.
While the immediate market impact of a single small tanker capture is limited, such events contribute to broader risk premiums in marine insurance and freight rates for routes passing through the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.
This development follows other recent security incidents in the region, including the May seizure of the tanker Eureka, for which Somali pirates are demanding a $10 million ransom.