By Asma Mohamud - Reporter
Somalia, 1 May 2026 Fresh concerns are emerging along Somalia’s coast that Somali piracy is returning after pirates hijacked several vessels near Puntland.
A cargo vessel carrying cement and heading to Mombasa, Kenya, was hijacked near the coast of Garacad in Puntland State, according to the Associated Press, which cited a local maritime security official. The vessel was sailing under the flag of St. Kitts and Nevis, and nine armed men were reported to have taken control of it.
The hijacking came days after an oil tanker that had departed from the port of Berbera and was heading to Mogadishu was seized off northeastern Somalia, between Hafun and Bandarbayla. The Associated Press reported that six armed men took control of the tanker, while the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said unauthorised people were steering the vessel southward in Somali waters.
Maritime security reports have also said that at least three vessels were targeted in hijackings within one week, indicating a rapid increase in pirate activity off Somalia’s coast. The Guardian reported that the incidents began on April 21, when the vessel Honour 25 was hijacked, followed by another boat and a commercial vessel named Sward.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations raised the threat level off Somalia’s coast, urging vessels to pass through the area with caution and report any suspicious activity. Al Jazeera said the warning came as the risk of piracy was once again increasing.
Somali pirates were among the biggest threats to international commercial shipping in the 2000s and early 2010s, but attacks declined significantly after international naval operations were strengthened and ships improved their own security measures.
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However, the latest incidents show that the threat has not completely disappeared. Maritime security analysts say pirates may be taking advantage of reduced sea patrols, the focus of international naval forces on the Red Sea, and wider security pressure along trade routes in the Middle East.
The incidents come as the Turkish drilling vessel Çağrı Bey is carrying out oil exploration operations in Somalia, accompanied by around three other vessels providing security and logistical support.