Pirates off Somalia attack at least 13 vessels since start of year
At least 13 vessels have been attacked off the coast of Somalia since the start of the year. Last week, pirates seized two cargo vessels in the Gulf of Aden over four days, BBC News reports. This marked the biggest escalation involving ship hijackings in the region in more than a decade.
On August 17, the Cameroon-flagged MV Lutuf was attacked off the coast of Puntland, a semi-autonomous Somali region. Several days later, pirates boarded the Eritrean-flagged petroleum products tanker MT Sibu 1 in waters near Yemen.
According to the BBC, MV Lutuf is one of six vessels being held for multimillion-dollar ransom demands. Four of them are anchored off the fishing town of Bandar Beyla, considered a piracy hub.
Drone strikes after vessel seizure
Following the seizure of MV Lutuf, 13 men suspected of belonging to a pirate supply network were killed in two drone strikes carried out since August 18. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Local officials blamed Turkey, saying the vessel was allegedly transporting Turkish weapons.
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Sources in Puntland security structures and a Somali government official told the BBC that MV Lutuf may have been carrying weapons for a Turkish military training facility in Mogadishu. According to the Somali official, the cargo also included satellite equipment for a space station Ankara is building north of the capital. Turkey’s Ministry of Defense said it provides necessary support to Somali authorities under a security agreement but did not respond to allegations concerning the drone strikes.
Factors behind the growing threat
International Crisis Group analyst Omar Mahmood believes pirates have taken advantage of international forces focusing on other crises in regional waters. The United States and Iran continue their struggle for control of the Strait of Hormuz, while Yemen’s Houthis, Tehran’s allies, have imposed a selective blockade in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which controls access to the Red Sea.
Due to the danger, some vessels are sailing closer to Somalia’s coast, bypassing conflict zones farther north. Mahmood noted that fewer naval patrols and more merchant vessels create favorable opportunities for pirates. An additional local factor is the dissatisfaction of Puntland fishermen with foreign trawlers that overfish in Somali waters.
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