Hijacked Iranian Fishing Vessel May Become a New Base for Somali Pirate Attacks

Hijacked Iranian Fishing Vessel May Become a New Base for Somali Pirate Attacks
On Thursday, Somali pirates hijacked the Iranian fishing vessel Azini between the northeastern Somali towns of Bandar Beyla and Hafun. The Indian Ocean Maritime Security Center said 12 pirates took control of the ship, which was carrying 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security personnel.

The vessel was reportedly moving toward a commercial shipping lane used by merchant ships. Maritime authorities warned that it could serve as a “floating base for new attacks,” raising concerns that the seizure could extend the pirates’ reach beyond the Somali coast.

The security center said the safety of those aboard remained unknown. It also urged ships operating in the area to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity. The EU’s Atalanta maritime operation has launched an investigation into the incident.

The hijacking comes amid a renewed rise in piracy around Somalia, the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean. Six commercial vessels were reportedly hijacked between April and August, with some attacks occurring far from Somalia’s coastline.

The two accounts reviewed for this report offered broadly similar descriptions of the incident and its potential consequences. Neither provided evidence that the vessel had already been used in an attack, but both highlighted the risk that its proximity to a busy shipping route could make it valuable to pirate groups.