Mogadishu (Kaab TV) – Suspected Somali pirates attempted to attack an oil tanker near the Gulf of Aden, but the vessel’s armed security team successfully prevented the incident by firing warning shots at a suspicious boat that approached the ship.
According to the vessel’s security company, the incident occurred while the tanker was sailing about 98 nautical miles off Yemen’s Socotra Island, an area that has increasingly become a hotspot for piracy-related activity linked to Somali armed groups.
The company reported the attack attempt to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), stating that a small boat carrying five individuals moved toward the tanker in a suspicious manner before being forced to retreat after warning shots were fired.
The European Union’s Maritime Security Centre for the Indian Ocean (MSCIO) described the incident as the third suspected piracy-related event involving Somali pirate groups within a single week, highlighting growing international concern over the resurgence of piracy in waters surrounding Somalia and the Gulf of Aden.
Security analysts say Somali piracy has been re-emerging in recent months amid ongoing instability, weak maritime security, illegal fishing complaints, and economic hardship in some coastal communities.
Although international naval patrols previously reduced piracy incidents significantly over the past decade, recent attacks suggest armed groups are attempting to reorganize and target commercial shipping routes once again.
On May 18, a skiff boat spotted near Bosaso was reported to the EU naval mission Operation Atalanta after it was suspected of searching for commercial vessels to hijack.
Meanwhile, three vessels remain in the hands of pirate groups off the Somali coast. The oil tanker MT Honour 25 was hijacked on April 21, the cargo vessel Sward on April 26, and the ship Eureka on May 2. Reports indicate that pirates are demanding a ransom of approximately $3 million for the release of the Eureka and its crew.
The hijacking of the Eureka has attracted particular international attention because the vessel was carrying fuel and had several foreign crew members on board. Somali and international authorities are reportedly engaged in diplomatic and security efforts to secure the safe release of those being held.
UKMTO has warned that the threat of piracy remains extremely high along the Somali coastline and in the Somalia Basin. MSCIO also identified northern Somalia, particularly Puntland waters and the Gulf of Aden, as areas facing the greatest risk of pirate activity.
Commercial shipping operators have been advised to remain at least 150 nautical miles away from the Somali coast whenever possible and to maintain heightened security measures while passing through the region.