Cargo Ship Hijacked off Somalia as Piracy Fears Resurface

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: A cargo ship has been hijacked off Somalia’s coast after eight armed men boarded the vessel and took control, in the latest incident raising concerns over a possible resurgence of piracy in the region.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the incident was reported at about 11:36 UTC, or 2:36 p.m. local time, roughly four nautical miles south of Mareeyo on Somalia’s coast.

The report was made by the vessel’s security officer, UKMTO said, without identifying the ship or providing details about its crew.

Maritime security company Vanguard Tech identified the vessel as Lutuf, a Cameroon-flagged cargo ship. Records cited by Seatrade Maritime News show that the vessel was built in 1995 and has a gross tonnage of about 1,401 tonnes.

The condition of the crew and their whereabouts were not immediately known. There was also no confirmed information on where the vessel had been taken or whether the attackers had demanded a ransom.

The latest hijacking comes after a series of similar incidents along Somalia’s coastline this year, reviving concerns about piracy in waters that had become significantly safer after years of international efforts to suppress attacks.

The Joint Maritime Information Centre (JMIC) said in its latest assessment on Aug. 16 that the threat to commercial shipping off Somalia remained moderate, while warning that opportunistic attacks continued to pose a risk.

Four commercial vessels were already being held by Somali pirate groups, according to JMIC. Honour 25 was seized on April 21, followed by Sward on April 26, Eureka on May 2 and Asana on July 17.

If Lutuf is confirmed as the vessel involved in Tuesday’s incident, it would become the fifth commercial ship caught up in the recent series of hijackings.

The return of piracy incidents is being closely watched in Somalia and across East Africa because the country’s coastline borders important shipping routes linking the Indian Ocean with the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

Authorities are investigating the incident, while the status of the vessel and its crew remains unclear.