Suspected Somali pirates have seized a Yemeni-flagged fishing boat off the coast of Puntland, a semi-autonomous region in northeastern Somalia, the European Union’s anti-piracy naval force said Monday. It marks the second such incident in the area in recent months.
According to EU NAVFOR, seven pirates boarded the vessel, which was carrying eight Somali crew members. The incident has been classified as a hijacking, though further details remain under investigation.
In February, another Yemeni-flagged fishing boat was hijacked in the same waters before being abandoned by the alleged pirates.
Somali piracy, which once plagued the Horn of Africa’s shipping lanes between 2008 and 2018, had largely subsided. However, activity has been on the rise again since late 2023.