A Tanzanian-flagged commercial tanker has reportedly been hijacked by suspected Somali pirates off the coast of Yemen, marking the latest resurgence of piracy in the Gulf of Aden.

Security sources and local officials said the vessel, identified as the MT ASANA, was seized on Friday after departing from Mukalla, Yemen.

According to officials familiar with the incident, the tanker was later taken to waters off Caluula in the Bari region of Puntland, Somalia’s semi-autonomous northeastern state.

Sources, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said seven armed Somali pirates were involved in the hijacking.

Vessel-tracking data reviewed by The Associated Press showed the MT ASANA moving slowly through the Gulf of Aden on Friday while transmitting Bosaso, Somalia, as its destination.

The ship was traveling at approximately two knots—an unusually slow speed that aligns with earlier reports indicating it had issued a distress signal during the incident.

Authorities have not confirmed how many crew members were aboard the tanker, whether anyone was injured, or the nationalities of those on board.

Puntland authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the reported hijacking, while the vessel’s owner and operator have also remained silent.

International naval forces patrolling the region had not released any public updates as of Sunday.

The incident is the latest in a growing number of attacks linked to Somali pirates, whose activities have re-emerged in the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean after several years of relative decline.

Maritime security experts have warned that reduced international naval patrols, coupled with ongoing instability in the region, have created conditions that have enabled piracy to resurface, posing renewed risks to commercial shipping along one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes.