In a recent update regarding piracy near Somalia, EU NAVFOR ATALANTA highlighted a significant increase in activity posing a threat. The pirates’ strategy involves taking over dhows to use as bases for attacks up to 600 nm away from shore, blending in with regular sea traffic. While no new attacks have occurred in the last week, the potential payment of ransoms could lead to more dhow hijackings, fueling future raids on ships. Reuters reported a $5 million ransom was paid for the release of the Bangladeshi bulker Abdullah, held by pirates for a month. Since last November, 18 dhows have been hijacked, with six or seven still believed to be under pirate control. There were four suspicious approaches to vessels in the Gulf of Aden near Socotra in the 30 days leading up to the report on May 3. EU NAVFOR ATALANTA estimates that two pirate groups may be active near Socotra and 500 nm east of the island in the Arabian Sea. The European naval force considers the threat of pirate attacks as moderate, with ships operating within 700 nm of Somalia advised to follow BMP5 guidelines to minimize risks.
