Mogadishu, April 27 (ANI): Maritime authorities have issued an urgent warning over an escalating piracy crisis following the hijacking of a second cargo vessel off the coast of Somalia.
The latest incident marks a significant disruption to global commercial shipping routes in the region.
Confirming the breach, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Sunday that “unauthorized persons have taken control of a cargo vessel which has been redirected to within territorial waters.” The organization added that the incident occurred about six nautical miles off the coast of Garacad, Somalia.
The development follows a separate maritime attack earlier in the week, when a tanker was seized within Somali waters.
According to UKMTO, that vessel was boarded by “unauthorized persons” approximately 45 nautical miles northeast of Mareeyo before being redirected into Somali territorial waters.
In response to the back-to-back hijackings, UKMTO reported an increased threat of piracy in the region and advised all merchant vessels to transit with caution.
The worsening security situation has prompted the Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) to raise its piracy threat level to “substantial” across the Somali coast and the Somali Basin. The agency has urged vessel crews to maintain heightened vigilance.
Providing further details, JMIC said Sunday that an oil products tanker is being held by pirates along the northeastern Somali coast. While no injuries have been reported, the agency warned that a “Pirate Action Group” is active in the Somali Basin, underscoring the continued risk to international maritime trade. (ANI)
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