Second cargo vessel in week hijacked off Somalia’s coast

A cargo vessel has been hijacked approximately six nautical miles northeast of the Somali city of Garacad.

Unauthorised individuals seized control of the vessel and redirected it into territorial waters, Caliber.Az reports, citing the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).

Earlier, on 23 April, UKMTO received 36 reports of incidents affecting vessels operating in and around the Arabian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz (SOH), and the Gulf of Oman.

Of these, 22 were classified as attacks, while 14 were reported as suspicious activity.

On April 21, the Palau-flagged tanker Honour 25 was taken by six gunmen 30 nm offshore Somalia.

The Honour 25 has 17 crew onboard and was sailing from the semi-autonomous Somali region of Puntland with a cargo of 18,500 barrels of oil.

Following the second hijacking of the cargo ship, the UKMTO warned of increased pirate activity offshore Somalia.

“Due to the increased threat of possible PAG activity, vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO while authorities investigate,” the statement said.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov