“British Military Reports Suspected Pirate Attack Off Somali Coast”

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"British Military Reports Suspected Pirate Attack Off Somali Coast"

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On Tuesday, the British army reported a suspected pirate attack in the Indian Ocean, approximately 1,100 km east of Mogadishu, Somalia’s coastal capital, where several individuals boarded and seized control of a ship.

According to a statement from the British army’s maritime trade operation, the ship was approached by several individuals on two boats, described as “one large and the other small.” The statement confirmed that unauthorized persons now have control of the vessel, but it did not provide further details.

British maritime security company Ambrey stated that the ship was overtaken by 20 armed assailants while en route from Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, to Hamriya in the United Arab Emirates.

Although incidents of piracy off the coast of Somalia have decreased since their peak in 2011, concerns regarding further attacks have escalated in recent months. In December, at least two incidents were reported, including the seizure of a commercial vessel by heavily armed individuals near the town of Eyl, Somalia, and the hijacking of a Maltese-flagged merchant vessel in the Arabian Sea, later moved to the same area off the Somali coast.

The spike in piracy in Somali waters in 2011 prompted international intervention, with the presence of the U.S. Navy and allied forces in international waters leading to a significant decline in subsequent years.