DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Suspected Somali pirates have seized a Yemeni fishing boat off the Horn of Africa, authorities mentioned late Monday.
A European naval operation within the Mideast, referred to as EUNAVFOR Atalanta, mentioned the incident remained underneath investigation.
It mentioned the assault focused a dhow, a conventional ship that plies the waters of the Mideast, off the city of Eyl in Somalia.
The maritime safety agency Ambrey mentioned the assault noticed the suspects steal three small boats outfitted with 60-horsepower engines. Ambrey mentioned early Tuesday “a suspected pirate motion group has been sighted departing” off the coast of Eyl.
As soon as-rampant piracy off the Somali coast diminished after a peak in 2011. That yr, there have been 237 reported assaults in waters off Somalia. Somali piracy within the area on the time price the world’s financial system some $7 billion — with $160 million paid out in ransoms, in line with the Oceans Past Piracy monitoring group.
Elevated worldwide naval patrols, a strengthening central authorities in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, and different efforts noticed the piracy crushed again.
Nevertheless, Somali pirate assaults have resumed at a higher tempo during the last yr, partly because of the insecurity attributable to Yemen’s Houthi rebels launching their assaults within the Pink Sea hall over the Israel-Hamas warfare within the Gaza Strip.
In 2024, there have been seven reported incidents off Somalia, in line with the Worldwide Maritime Bureau.
