London, Jul 24 -- Somali pirates may be adopting new "pack tactics", with reports that Yemeni armed forces have beaten back an attack on a Yemeni oil tanker staged by 14 pirate boats that were working together. Western security sources in the region confirmed that some form of engagement did take place on Tuesday afternoon (Jul 21), and did involve the exchange of gunfire, but were unable to verify specific details of claims being made by official Yemeni media outlets. According to the state-owned news agency Saba, the vessel at the centre of the incident was Yemen Oil 7 , which was en route from Aden to Hodeidah at the time. Following naval intervention, the attackers were beaten back. A private security consultant based in the Gulf of Aden said: "The Yemen tankers are very high-risk vessels and there is more than one organisation that tries to create problems for them. That is why they always have armed teams and escorts." Meanwhile, 12 Somali suspected pirates have been cha