A renewed piracy threat near Somalia has sparked concerns after reports emerged that Somali pirates seized another dhow that could potentially be used as a “mothership” for future attacks on commercial vessels.
According to the Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO), the dhow was reportedly hijacked on May 9 while en route to Kismayo, Somalia. The vessel was operating off the country’s southern coast when the incident occurred.
In response, European naval forces participating in Operation Atalanta were notified immediately and deployed assets to assess the situation.