Piracy off the coast of Somalia continues to escalate, with new details emerging about recent hijackings and ongoing threats in the region. The EU naval mission EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta has confirmed that it is currently monitoring two active piracy-related incidents and has issued a warning to vessels operating within 150 nautical miles of the Somali coast.
One of the hijacked vessels has now been identified as the general cargo ship Sward. The Turkish-managed vessel, sailing under the flag of St. Kitts and Nevis, was transporting cement from the Suez Canal to Mombasa when it was boarded on April 26, approximately six nautical miles northeast of Garacad.
The 8,500 dwt vessel, built in 1988, has a crew of 15 on board, consisting of Indian and Syrian nationals. According to maritime security consultants, up to nine armed pirates may be aboard the ship, which remains under pirate control. The vessel’s movements are being monitored by Atalanta assets.
Atalanta also confirmed the earlier hijacking of the Palau-flagged product tanker Honour 25. The 3,000 dwt vessel, believed to be carrying gasoline and linked to Pakistani ownership, was seized approximately 45 nautical miles off Marbeyo and has since been moved 77 nautical miles further south.
A dhow hijacked on April 25 approximately 10 nautical miles off Dhinowda is believed to be linked to the attack on Sward. Authorities note that pirate groups are increasingly using dhows and fishing vessels to blend in with local traffic before launching attacks.
According to Atalanta, its response currently includes naval assets, including two warships deployed to the area. In a separate incident last month, these forces tracked a hijacked dhow for several days before pirates abandoned the vessel.
Before the current spike, Atalanta had recorded five piracy or armed robbery incidents in the region since the beginning of the year. The latest developments suggest a rapidly deteriorating security environment and raise concerns about a renewed cycle of organized piracy off Somalia.
