Pirates

Thursday May 7, 2026 Somali pirates have left a hijacked Emirati dhow loaded with lemons adrift after failing in an effort to use it as a floating launch pad for attacks on other ships, security sources in Somalia’s Puntland State state told AFP. The fate of the crew of Fahad-4 remains unclear. No information was immediately available on what happened to the vessel’s sailors after the ship was seized in late April by an 11-man pirate gang as it left Mogadishu with its citrus cargo. Amid a recent surge in similar seizures,…

Ismail DilawarFriday May 1, 2026 The collage created on April 30, 2026, shows (left) Syed Hussain Yousuf’s daughter looking at his photo on a mobile phone, pleading for his safe return, and (right) a photo of Syed Hussain Yousuf. (AN Photo) A family in Karachi is living through every parent’s worst fear after a pirate assault off Somalia stranded a Pakistani tanker crew member at sea and pulled his 12-year-old daughter out of school. Syeda Masooma Batool has not been attending classes since the MT Honour 25 was seized on…

Thursday April 30, 2026 Garacad (AX) — Fighting broke out in the Garacad area of Mudug region on Thursday morning after Puntland State security forces engaged suspected pirates, leaving several people feared dead and others wounded. Local residents said the confrontation began when Puntland State forces moved against armed men believed to be connected to recent piracy incidents along the coast. Among those injured is the commander of the Jariiban district police station, Abdullahi Abdi Elmi “Guray Dusaaye” (Booyaax),…

Tuesday April 28, 2026 A cargo ship is seen in a port in central Mogadishu Suspected pirates have seized a cargo vessel off Somalia, according to officials and maritime security groups, in what appears to be the latest sign that insecurity is returning to waters once notorious for such attacks. The reported hijacking on Monday was the second off Somalia in less than a week. The target was the Sward, a St Kitts and Nevis-flagged ship carrying cement from Suez, Egypt, to the Kenyan port city of Mombasa. The incident comes at…

Harry SekulichMonday April 27, 2026 Shipping routes off Somalia are once again under close scrutiny after a cargo vessel was seized in what authorities believe was a fresh piracy incident, prompting warnings that the danger to commercial traffic in the region is rising. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) lifted the threat level for the area to "substantial" after saying "unauthorised persons" took control of the ship on Sunday and forced it toward Somalia's territorial waters. At least four vessels have been targeted…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A suspected pirate team seized a St. Kitts and Nevis-flagged general cargo ship off Somalia’s coast Monday and was steering it toward shore, maritime security firms said, underscoring a fresh uptick in pirate activity in the area. British security companies Vanguard and Ambrey said the vessel, identified as Sward, is believed to have come under pirate control after being boarded near Godobjiran in central Somalia. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the attack occurred about 6…

Saturday April 25, 2026 Somali pirates have seized an oil tanker off the country’s northeastern coast, underscoring a renewed threat on a sea lane long watched by global naval forces. A maritime policeman guarded an oil tanker after its release. Somali pirates have hijacked four ships in the past month.Credit...Abdiqani Hassan/Reuters Mogadishu (AX) — Somali pirates hijacked an oil tanker carrying 18,500 barrels of fuel and 17 crew members off Somalia’s northeastern coast, officials said Friday. The vessel, named Honour 25,…

Pirates have seized an oil tanker carrying 17 crew members off Somalia’s coast, multiple security officials told the BBC, in a brazen reminder of a menace once thought to be fading in the region. The vessel, Honour 25, was taken over late on Wednesday by six armed men when it was about 30 nautical miles offshore, the officials said. For years, this stretch of the Indian Ocean was synonymous with pirate attacks, but until three years ago such incidents had largely vanished. Since then, however, piracy has returned, with…

Saturday April 25, 2026 An oil tanker was left under guard after being freed, a stark reminder of how quickly piracy can again unsettle the waters off Somalia. Somali pirates have hijacked four ships in the past month.Credit...Abdiqani Hassan/Reuters Mogadishu (AX) — Somali pirates seized an oil tanker carrying 18,500 barrels of fuel and 17 crew members off Somalia’s northeastern coast, officials said Friday. The ship, identified as Honour 25, was taken late Wednesday by at least six armed men roughly 30 nautical miles…

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday warned that the United States will take “decisive military action” against Somali pirate groups, signaling a tougher posture that could allow U.S. forces to target suspected pirates even if they have not attacked American vessels. Trump said U.S. forces would strike any individual or boat that moves toward a ship, regardless of ownership or flag. “Anyone who tries to move toward a vessel will meet the ultimate punishment,” he said, according to remarks reported by U.S. media. The…