Suspected pirates hijack cargo vessel off Somalia, security groups say

Suspected pirates have boarded a St Kitts and Nevis-flagged general cargo vessel off Somalia and are steering it towards the country’s coastline, according to British maritime security groups Vanguard and Ambrey.

The incident involved the vessel Sward, which was travelling through waters near Somalia when it was intercepted in the vicinity of Godobjiran, Vanguard said in a note late on April 26, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported the event took place around six nautical miles north-east of Garacad, describing it as a hijacking.

Ambrey said the ship had been en route to Mombasa, Kenya, from Suez, Egypt at the time it was boarded. It added that all 15 crew members were accounted for, comprising two Indian nationals and 13 Syrians, with most on the bridge at the time of the incident, except two engineers.

“The vessel is currently assessed to be under ‌pirate ⁠control and proceeding toward the Somali coastline. The Puntland Maritime Police Force has been notified,”

Vanguard said the vessel was believed to be under pirate control and heading towards shore, and noted that authorities in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region had been alerted.

The assistant information minister of Puntland and local security officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Piracy off Somalia’s long coastline was a major maritime security threat between 2008 and 2018, disrupting key shipping routes in the Horn of Africa. Activity declined significantly after international naval patrols and strengthened onboard security, but reports of renewed incidents have increased since late 2023.

In November 2025, armed assailants attacked a commercial tanker near Mogadishu, marking the first such incident since 2024, underscoring renewed concerns about maritime security in the region.

By Aghakazim Guliyev