Commercial shipping faces a renewed Somali piracy crisis, with two vessels hijacked in under a week and urgent warnings from United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations ( UKMTO) and Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC)
A cargo ship was seized 6 nautical miles (nm) northeast of Garacad, Somalia, by “unauthorized persons” who redirected it into the country’s territorial waters, UKMTO reported.
This follows the 21 April hijacking of the Palau-flagged tanker Honour 25 by six gunmen 30 nm offshore Somalia.
The vessel, carrying 18,500 barrels of oil from Puntland, has 17 crew aboard. UKMTO noted the incident occurred 45 nm northeast of Mareeyo, with the tanker maneuvered 77 nm south into Somali waters.
After the 26 April cargo ship hijacking, UKMTO warned of heightened pirate activity: “Vessels are advised to transit with caution, report suspicious activity to UKMTO, and follow BMP-MS guidance while authorities investigate.”
The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) raised the threat level for the Somali Coast/Somali Basin to “substantial,” signaling a “strong possibility” of attacks.
Its 26 April update stated: “An oil-products tanker is held by pirates on the northeastern Somali coast—no injuries reported. A Pirate Action Group is active in the Somali Basin; maintain heightened vigilance.” JMIC also noted a Somali-flagged fishing vessel hijacked near Xaafuun on 23 April and an attempted armed boarding 83 nm off Eyl.
Somali piracy plagued global shipping from 2008–2011, peaking in 2011 with over 200 attacks via hijackings for ransom.
This resurgence hits amid broader threats: the Strait of Hormuz remains closed due to the US-Israel-Iran war, stranding nearly 1,000 ships and 20,000 crew in the Arabian Gulf under a US naval blockade in the Arabian Sea
Houthi threats in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb linger at “moderate,” with no recent commercial attacks reported.
