Naval Forces Monitor Hijacked Dhow Off Somalia’s Coast

MOGADISHU, Somalia — International naval forces are tracking an Iranian-flagged dhow seized by suspected pirates off Somalia’s coast, maritime security agencies said Wednesday.

The vessel, the Al Waseemi 786, was reported taken about 400 nautical miles east of Mogadishu. The Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) and the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) described the episode as a “probable piracy event,” and said the dhow is likely being used as a “mothership” to support additional attacks on commercial shipping in the Indian Ocean.

Maritime authorities have issued a “strong advisory” telling merchant vessels to keep at least 200 nautical miles away from the vessel’s last known position.

The seizure has renewed alarms over security in the region. Piracy off Somalia had fallen sharply over the past decade after sustained international patrols, but analysts say recent activity points to a possible rebound. The concern has deepened amid wider regional tensions and the shift of some naval resources to the Red Sea to confront threats from Houthi rebels in Yemen.

“The situation is being monitored closely by regional and international naval assets,” a spokesperson for the monitoring center said in a statement. “At this time, there is an active investigation into the group responsible, which is believed to be a pirate action group operating far from the coastline.”

No details have been released on the number of crew aboard the Al Waseemi 786 or their condition.

The Indian Navy and EUNAVFOR’s Operation Atalanta have stepped up surveillance in the area. In recent weeks, naval forces intercepted several pirate-occupied skiffs, but the latest incident suggests criminal groups still have the reach to operate deep in the Indian Ocean.

Shipping companies have been told to follow Best Management Practices (BMP5) and to report any suspicious activity immediately to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

AXADLETM