Another ship has been hijacked off the coast of Somalia, the British maritime trade watchdog announced today. This increases fears that Somali pirates are active again, almost a decade after wreaking havoc on international shipping, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
The vessel was seized by heavily armed men near the town of Ayl off the coast of Somalia, Britain’s Maritime Intelligence Service said. She cited military authorities as the source of the information.
The agency did not offer details about who the kidnappers were, but said an investigation was underway.
The European Union’s naval mission said a Maltese-flagged merchant ship was hijacked in the nearby Arabian Sea last week and moved to the same area off the coast of Somalia. The bulk carrier Rouen had 18 crew on board when it was hijacked near the Yemeni island of Socotra, about 240 km from Somalia. One crew member was evacuated to an Indian Navy vessel for medical treatment. Suspicion of that hijacking also fell on Somali pirates, although EU forces said the kidnappers and their demands were unknown.
There has been a recent sharp increase in attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
2023-12-22 20:52:00
#ship #hijacked #coast #Somalia
