Piracy is on the rise off the coast of Somalia again after two new attacks this week, the world’s top piracy observers say, as two major regional conflicts leave the region’s navies stretched thin.
Yemen’s Houthis said last month they would blockade Saudi Arabia’s ports and target several ships, forcing many to avoid the area. Meanwhile, the Iran war has caused chaos in the industry, with dozens of cargo ships being attacked in and around the Persian Gulf. (Editor’s note: This article was published by Bloomberg on August 21).
Naval authorities reported this week that two ships had been attacked by Somali pirates, adding to previous concerns about a rising number of incidents this year. As early as October 2008, they targeted hundreds of ships, forcing some owners to sail around Africa to ensure safety.
“While naval assets are located in the region, other maritime security threats are taking hold, potentially creating potential opportunities for Somali pirates, which have been successfully deterred and disrupted for more than a decade,” said Cyrus Mody, director of the International Maritime Bureau, which maintains a global piracy database.
On Thursday, attackers hijacked the Sibu 1, an oil products tanker in the Gulf of Aden before diverting it to Somalia. The incident occurred shortly after the Cameroon-flagged cargo ship Lutuf was hijacked.
Read more: EU agency says Iran war fuels surge in piracy off Somali coast
Modi said the risk of attacks off the Somali coast remains much lower than in 2009 and 2010, when attacks often occurred deep in the Indian Ocean and targeted large commercial ships.
Still, the incidents raise another risk around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key chokepoint connecting the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea and a key route for global shipping.
EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, the EU military operation that protects merchant shipping in the region, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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