A Greek-managed cargo ship was boarded by suspected pirates off Yemen on September 10, in the latest reported incident amid a resurgence of piracy in the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean.
The Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO) initially described the incident as a hijacking. However, subsequent updates from UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) indicated that the attackers failed to take control of the vessel.
The ship is believed to be the 24,073-dwt MV Glamor, a 1998-built general cargo vessel flying the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The 154-metre ship is managed by Greece-based Dolphin Seatrade and was sailing from Salalah towards Djibouti.
UKMTO received a report that an unidentified skiff was approaching a merchant vessel approximately 98 nautical miles southwest of Al Mukalla. The vessel was later boarded around 38 nautical miles southwest of Balhaf.
The crew mustered in the citadel while the attackers came aboard. The intruders were subsequently unable to take control, disembarked and the vessel resumed its voyage. All crew members were reported safe.
Assets assigned to the European Union’s Operation Atalanta are investigating the incident.
The boarding is the 25th piracy-related incident reported in the region in 2026. Eight successful hijackings have been recorded since April, with five vessels still being monitored in Somali coastal waters. Pirate groups have also increasingly used captured dhows and other vessels as potential motherships.
MSCIO continues to advise commercial vessels to maintain heightened vigilance within 150 nautical miles of the Somali coast between Mogadishu and Hafun.
