At least three vessels have been hijacked off Somalia’s coast within 10 days, including an oil tanker, a cement carrier and a fishing dhow, the highest number of hijackings in Somali waters for a decade, according to maritime security officials, raising fears that piracy is making a major comeback.
The surge comes amid a global shipping crisis linked to the ongoing Iran war and diversion of international naval forces to the Red Sea, leaving Somali waters increasingly exposed and creating new opportunities for armed groups to exploit security gaps.
The European Union Naval Force confirmed the hijackings: on April 21, pirates seized the oil tanker Honour 25, carrying 17 crew members and 18,000 barrels of oil bound for Mogadishu; on April 26, the merchant vessel Sward was captured; and a Somali-flagged fishing dhow was also taken around April 25.
Attackers have since struck again: on May 2, pirates hijacked the Togo-flagged oil tanker Eureka off Yemen’s Shabwa province and steered it toward Somali waters.That vessel is now reportedly held for ransom off Puntland, the semi-autonomous northeastern state now at the centre of the resurgence.
Puntland authorities have responded with force. On April 30, security forces clashed with suspected pirates in Garacad, resulting in casualties, including the death of a police officer. A militia group also attacked a police station in the port town, reportedly in an attempt to free detained piracy suspects.
But analysts warn this wave may be different. Jethro Norman, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, said pirate networks are testing the waters again and are now better equipped than the previous generation, using GPS and satellite communications to operate hundreds of miles offshore.
The resurgence has triggered widespread alarm among maritime security officials. The Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean has urged vessels to maintain high vigilance and transit with caution, particularly within 150 nautical miles of the Somali coast between Mogadishu and Hafun.