Suspected pirates are back in Somalia，pay close attention to the vessel equipped with Anti Piracy Sp

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Recently, the relevant department of the European Union responsible for the Horn of Africa maritime monitoring operation released information, said that there was a suspected piracy incident off the coast of Somalia. Details are limited as the incident is still under investigation.

According to EUNAVFOR Atalanta, the EU Naval Operation, they were notified of the suspected attack on Sunday, February 9, and are currently coordinating with maritime security partners in the region to confirm the circumstances of the incident.

The attack was carried out on an unnamed Yemeni fishing boat near the northern coast of Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region.

Operation Atlanta noted that there had been a five-year period of stability in the area before the hijacking of a local dhow named Al-Meraj 1 in November 2023. By the end of 2024, there had been 44 attacks in the 13 months that followed, including a number of unsuccessful ship hijackings. However, an unknown number of incidents involving dhows and small craft have not been reported or confirmed. It is estimated that as many as 19 dhows have been hijacked, and there are fears that they could be used as mother ships to attack commercial vessels.

It is worth noting that a pirate operation team has recently been reported to have left Somalia and entered the Indian Ocean. This is the third time the pirate operation team has attempted to launch a successful operation offshore. Last week, the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) intercepted the boat the team was trying to launch, though the pirate action team managed to escape after being caught.

All ships have been warned to step up security measures after a resurgence of piracy. There were three suspected vessel approaches between June and December 2024, but no actual attacks until December.

However, in December 2024, a Chinese fishing boat was hijacked in the waters off the coast of Somalia. As the vessel was still in waters off the coast of Somalia, the incident was classified as an armed robbery, and there was speculation that it may also have been caused by a local fishing dispute. "The fishing boat is under the control of suspected pirates, some of whom are armed with AK-47 rifles and machine guns," a source said at the time. On January 13, 2025, according to the Chinese Embassy in Somalia, all 18 crew members on board were rescued.

In order to ensure the safety of the crew and the ship, it is recommended to be equipped with anti-piracy equipment to prevent pirates from boarding the ship.