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Piracy is resurging off Somalia's coast, with at least 15 attacks this year, though the scale remains far below the 2011 peak. The rise is attributed to naval distractions, economic pressures, and organized crime networks, while military and diplomatic responses are being ramped up.
Turkish and Somali forces rescued a Cameroon-flagged cargo ship from pirates off Somalia's Puntland coast, killing 14 pirates in a 10-day operation. The vessel had been seized on August 17, and it is now continuing to its destination in Tanzania.
An oil tanker was boarded by six armed individuals off Yemen and redirected toward Somalia, according to UKMTO. The incident highlights a resurgence of Somali piracy since April, with five cargo ships currently held.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani condemned US attacks on an Indian oil tanker in international waters as 'piracy' and a violation of international law. US Central Command defended the actions as legal measures to prevent Iranian oil smuggling.
Somali pirates have abandoned a UAE-flagged dhow they seized in late April after being unable to use it as a mother ship to attack other vessels, security officials in Puntland said. The 11-member crew abandoned the ship on May 4 due to depleted supplies and heightened vigilance on passing vessels. The incident raises renewed concerns about Somali piracy after years of relative calm.
Yemen's coast guard said on May 24 it was trying to recover an oil tanker hijacked off Shabwa province, now sailing toward Somalia. The attack is at least the fourth near Somalia in recent weeks. Piracy has increased as naval forces are distracted by the Iran war.
Yemen's coast guard says armed assailants seized the M/T EUREKA oil tanker off Shabwa province and are steering it toward the Gulf of Aden, with authorities tracking the vessel and working to secure the crew's safety.
At least four vessels have been seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia in the past week, raising fears of a resurgence of the piracy that once plagued the Horn of Africa region. The UK Maritime Trade Operations has raised the threat level to "significant." Analysts attribute the uptick to the diversion of naval patrols to the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, as well as rising oil prices.
