A cargo vessel was hijacked off the coast of Somalia on Monday after eight armed men boarded the ship and seized control, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency.
UKMTO said it received a report of the incident about four nautical miles south of Mareeyo, on Somalia’s northeastern coast.
The vessel’s company security officer reported that eight unauthorized armed individuals had boarded the ship and taken control, the agency said in a maritime warning.
UKMTO did not identify the vessel or disclose its flag, ownership or the number of crew members on board. No group had claimed responsibility for the attack as of early Monday afternoon.
The incident comes amid renewed concern over piracy and armed attacks in waters off Somalia and across the western Indian Ocean.
Somali piracy reached its height between 2008 and 2018 before international naval patrols, improved ship security measures and efforts by Somali authorities sharply reduced attacks.
However, piracy incidents began increasing again in late 2023, raising fears that armed groups could exploit broader instability and security pressures in the region to re-establish operations along key shipping routes.