Exactly five months after the latest piracy incident in the Indian Ocean, Somali gangs may be on the prowl for fresh victims.
The European Union’s Atalanta naval force warned vessels on Wednesday that a party of 13 people, possibly pirates, sailed out on the evening of 22 October from the Somali villages of Ceel Huur and Ivo Hobyo.
EUNAVFOR Atalanta officials clarified to TradeWinds that even though the information comes from reliable sources, it is still under investigation.
In any case, all vessels in the region “are advised to proceed with caution and report any suspicious activity”.
The last piracy attack reported by EUNAVFOR in the region occurred on 23 May, when armed Somalis aborted their raid on the German-managed, 17,800-dwt multipurpose vessel Basilisk (built 2013).
All the ship’s 17 seafarers were safe and accounted for.
In its latest update issued on 27 August, EUNAVFOR evaluated the piracy threat in the Indian Ocean as “moderate”, with attacks remaining a “realistic possibility”.
Long believed to be extinct, Somali piracy was revived in December 2023, coinciding with the beginning of the Houthis’ campaign against commercial ships that the Yemeni rebel group believes are linked with Western and Israeli interests.
Several piracy attacks have been recorded since, and the EU has expressed concerns that the reported payment of ransom to free at least one bulker could embolden pirates.
Several pirates have been apprehended in the region, primarily by the Indian Navy but lately also by EU patrols.
