Tuesday February 25, 2025
FILE - EUNAVFOR ATALANTA/X
Mogadishu (HOL) — Suspected Somali pirates have abandoned a Yemeni-flagged fishing boat they hijacked off the northern coast of Puntland, authorities confirmed Monday. The vessel Saytuun-2 was held captive for five days before the attackers fled, taking the crew's belongings but leaving the sailors unharmed.
According to the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Atalanta, the incident began on February 17 when armed pirates seized the dhow near Garmaal, close to Eyl, a hotspot for previous hijackings. The attackers, reportedly armed and using ladders, likely intended to use the fishing boat as a mothership—a tactic seen in past piracy waves where captured vessels serve as platforms for launching further attacks.
By February 22, the assailants had vacated the vessel under unclear circumstances. A day later, Operation Atalanta forces conducted a friendly approach, gathering intelligence from the crew. European forces have been coordinating closely with regional partners, including the Yemeni Coast Guard and Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF), to monitor piracy activity in Somali waters.
The hijacking of the Saytuun-2 marks the second recorded piracy incident off Puntland's northern coast in recent weeks. Security officials warn that similar organized pirate activity may continue, echoing patterns in the late 2000s when Somali piracy surged.
Piracy in the region peaked in 2011, with 237 reported attacks, costing the global economy an estimated $7 billion, according to the Oceans Beyond Piracy monitoring group. A combination of increased naval patrols and the stabilization of Somalia's central government significantly reduced incidents in the following years. However, piracy activity has resurged amid rising instability in the Red Sea corridor, fueled by Yemen's Houthi insurgency and broader regional tensions.
The International Maritime Bureau recorded seven pirate-related incidents off Somalia in 2024, signalling a worrying trend. Operation Atalanta has urged ships transiting the region to maintain heightened vigilance, warning that piracy networks may be reorganizing.