Key facts
- The chemical tanker Asana was boarded by armed assailants off Yemen.
- Maritime security sources suspect the incident is related to Somali piracy.
- The UKMTO reported a vessel was boarded by unauthorized personnel in the Gulf of Aden.
- The boarding occurred 65 nautical miles south of Yemen's Al Mukalla port.
Armed assailants are believed to have boarded the chemical tanker Asana off the southern coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden on Friday, with maritime security sources suggesting the incident is related to Somali piracy. The European Union's Aspides naval mission and a South Korean warship are involved in efforts to assist the vessel and determine the circumstances of the boarding. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) also reported that a vessel was boarded by unauthorized personnel in the Gulf of Aden, 65 nautical miles south of Yemen's Al Mukalla port.