In early July 2026, a tanker was attacked by a group of armed pirates in the Gulf of Aden, about 76 nautical miles south of Balhaf, in waters off Yemen controlled by the anti-Houthi government. The men boarded the vessel after approaching it in a small suspicious craft, but abandoned it when the crew took shelter in the ship’s secure citadel, according to UKMTO (United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations). After the attackers withdrew, they pursued a second vessel in the same area. The bridge and adjacent compartments were damaged, while the crew remained unharmed. UKMTO has opened an investigation into the incident, advising vessels transiting the area to exercise extreme caution and report any suspicious activity immediately.
The incident is part of an escalation in Somali piracy not seen at these levels since the 2011 peak. Since late April 2026, Somali pirates have attacked and hijacked vessels at a high rate: UKMTO issued four alerts in the Somali Basin in April and eight in the Gulf of Aden between May and June. At the time the Long War Journal article was written, Somali pirates were holding three vessels seized on 21 April, 26 April and 2 May. The International Maritime Bureau recorded 137 incidents of piracy and violence at sea in 2025, compared with 116 the previous year, with firearms being used more frequently.
