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A Yemeni-flagged fishing vessel was hijacked by suspected Somali pirates off the coast of Puntland, Somalia, on Sunday, March 16, 2025, in what appears to be a resurgence of maritime piracy in the region. According to the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR), seven armed individuals boarded the vessel, which had eight Somali crew members on board. The incident marks the second hijacking of a Yemeni-flagged fishing boat in these waters within two months.
EU NAVFOR confirmed the attack in a statement released Monday, classifying it as an act of piracy. “The incident is under investigation and has been classified as a hijack,” the statement read. Authorities have not disclosed the current whereabouts of the vessel or the condition of its crew, and it remains unclear what demands the hijackers may have made.
Once a notorious global hotspot for piracy, Somali waters were largely secured following intense international naval patrols and security measures implemented between 2008 and 2018. For nearly a decade, piracy incidents dwindled to the point of near extinction. However, concerns have grown over a possible resurgence, as criminal gangs and former pirates appear to be taking advantage of weakened maritime security.
The latest hijacking follows a similar attack in February, when another Yemeni-flagged vessel was seized in the same region. In that case, the suspected pirates abandoned the boat shortly after taking control of it. Security analysts fear that these recent incidents signal a return to organized piracy operations, reminiscent of the early 2000s when Somali pirates posed a major threat to global shipping.
Experts suggest that a combination of factors may be fueling the resurgence of piracy along Somalia’s coastline. Economic hardship, political instability, and the diminishing presence of international naval forces have left the waters vulnerable once again. Puntland, a semi-autonomous region in northeastern Somalia, has struggled to contain piracy in the past and remains a key launching point for criminal groups targeting vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
The strategic location of Somalia along one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes has historically made it a prime target for pirate attacks. In past years, Somali pirate gangs have hijacked cargo ships, oil tankers, and fishing vessels, often holding crews hostage for ransom payments reaching millions of dollars.
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