“Somali” pirates attack and capture large and small ships.
Off the coast of Somalia, the number of pirates attacking large and small ships has increased. The move comes after security in the Red Sea was disrupted by attacks by Houthi militants on merchant ships, Bloomberg reports.
Since November, Somalia has recorded five attacks on commercial vessels off its coast. This put an end to a period of stability that prompted the global shipping industry to declare the Indian Ocean coastline a “high-risk area” in 2022.
Recent incidents include the hostage-taking in December aboard the Maltese-flagged MV Ruen, after which Indian, Japanese and Spanish warships rescued 18 crew members. According to the International Maritime Bureau, this was the first successful hijacking off the coast of Somalia since 2017.
On January 5, the Indian Navy again responded to the Liberian-flagged MV Lila Norfolk hijacking by sending a warship and helicopters to help, but the pirates managed to escape.
In addition to attacks on large ships, at least five small Iranian fishing vessels have been attacked in recent weeks, according to Crisis 24, an international security consulting firm that specializes in security.
The surge in piracy is blamed on European warships that have left the Somali coast and the US military, which has switched to the threat of the Houthis in Yemen. Container ships that would have sailed across the Red Sea to the Suez Canal and back are now adding weeks to their routes to travel around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa.
Last year, 28,082 ships sailed along the Somali coastline. The East African Shippers’ Council has warned that the continuing trend of piracy could increase costs for shippers and disrupt supply chains.
Tensions in the Red Sea
The Houthi group Ansar Allah has been ruling in Yemen since 2015, and the UN does not recognize the legitimacy of their government. It is believed that the Houthis regime is supported by Iran and Hezbollah, which support the terrorist organization in the Hamas war against Israel.
After the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas, the Yemeni group announced that it would attack any ships belonging to Israeli companies or flying the Israeli flag in the Red Sea.
In early December, a U.S. warship and several commercial vessels were attacked by Houthis in the Red Sea.
Following a series of terrorist hijackings and attacks on commercial vessels, on January 12, the United States, together with the United Kingdom, launched strikes against Yemeni Houthi targets. After that, US President Joe Biden confirmed the attack on the Houthis in Yemen.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also confirmed that his country’s air force had carried out “targeted strikes on Yemeni Houthi targets.”
