Somali pirates Hijack Boat: Somali pirates have reportedly hijacked a Yemeni-flagged fishing boat off the coast of Puntland, a semi-autonomous region in northeast Somalia. This marks the second such incident in just 2 months, according to the European Union’s anti-piracy naval force, EU NAVFOR.
On Monday, EU NAVFOR confirmed that seven pirates boarded the fishing vessel, which had eight Somali crew members on board, Reuters reported. The force stated, “The incident is under investigation and has been classified as a hijack.”
This latest hijacking follows a similar event in February, when another Yemeni-flagged fishing boat was seized in the same area. However, in that case, the alleged pirates abandoned the vessel shortly after taking control.
Somali pirates were a major threat in the waters off the Horn of Africa between 2008 and 2018, disrupting international shipping and causing widespread concern. After a period of relative calm, pirate activity began to rise again in late 2023, raising fears of a potential resurgence in piracy in the region.
Authorities are closely monitoring the situation as efforts to combat piracy in the area continue.
