Sanctioned Shadow Fleet Tanker Hijacked in Gulf of Aden and Diverted Toward Somalia

A U.S.-sanctioned product tanker has been hijacked in the Gulf of Aden and redirected toward Somalia after six armed men boarded and seized control of the vessel, marking the second reported hijacking in the region this week.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Thursday it received a report of an incident about 136 nautical miles east of Al Mukalla, Yemen. The tanker initially broadcast a distress call on VHF Channel 16 reporting that it was being approached by an unauthorized vessel while traveling west through the Gulf of Aden.

UKMTO later confirmed that six armed individuals had boarded the