International shipping has been warned that pirates from Somalia are likely back hunting for targets in the Indian Ocean.
With monsoon season coming to a close, 13 armed pirates have left from Ceel Huur near Hobyo and are in the Indian Ocean, according to both the European Union’s naval force in the region as well as security specialists EOS Risk Group, marking the first pirate boat to head back out to sea since early June.
“All vessels are advised to proceed with caution and report any suspicious activity,” the Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) warned yesterday.
Somali pirates had been dormant for a number of years until the hijacking of the Iranian-flagged fishing vessel Almeraj 1 late last year, when activity started to pick up again.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre (UKMTO) reported yesterday that the Chinese-flagged bulk vessel Huan Hang 99 was approached yesterday south of Aden by five small vessels and that their onboard security team fired warning shots. It remains unclear whether the vessels involved came from Yemen or Somalia.