Beware: Paying Ransom May Spark Fresh Somali Pirate Onslaught
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,…