Somali Piracy Resurgence Sees Hijacked Cargo Ship Used as Attack Base

Somali pirates have resumed using a captured cargo vessel as a floating base to launch raids on other ships, marking a return to tactics last seen at the height of piracy in the region around 15 years ago. Two Iranian fishing boats were seized on July 16 by pirates operating speedboats from a large cement carrier they had hijacked earlier this year. At one point last week, six captured vessels were being held off Somalia’s Puntland coast while pirates demanded ransom payments, though two boats were later released.

How the Hijacking Unfolded

The cargo ship at the center of the operation was seized in April along with its crew of Syrian and Indian nationals, shortly after leaving Egypt bound for Kenya. Hijackers steered it into Somali waters, anchoring near a fishing settlement before moving it further along the coast, where speedboats launched a coordinated attack on the Iranian vessels while the larger ship waited nearby. Officials in Puntland said the pirates have significant support from local clans, which has made prosecuting them difficult.

Violence Escalates Onshore

One pirate leader who negotiated the hijacking was later arrested, but militiamen attacked the police station holding him, killing one officer and wounding another in an attempt to free him. He was eventually moved to the regional capital for safekeeping. Separately, a police chief appointed to fight piracy in a nearby coastal town was assassinated last week, allegedly by gunmen linked to the police station attack.

A Pattern That Once Nearly Disappeared

Somali piracy caused more than 1,000 attacks between 2005 and 2012 before international naval patrols and armed guards on ships cut hijackings by over 90%. Officials say patrols have since been stretched thin by naval deployments to the Red Sea amid regional tensions, giving pirates room to return. Local fishermen have also blamed unauthorized foreign fishing fleets for damaging their livelihoods, fueling resentment that has helped drive the resurgence. The two Iranian boats were eventually released after a ransom was reportedly paid.