AfricaOperations

Two vessels freed following Somali pirate hijackings

Two fishing vessels – one from Iran and the other from Sri Lanka – have been freed following hijackings by Somali pirates.

Seychelles forces rescued a Sri Lankan fishing boat on Monday, while the Indian Navy said it had freed an Iranian-flagged fishing vessel.

Somali pirates are back hunting targets while Houthis to the north in Yemen are attacking ships too, bringing much marine traffic to a halt in the Red Sea.

Piracy was rampant off Somalia for four years from 2008 but then it went dormant for about five years. Recently, Somali pirates have been hijacking several vessels such as dhows and then targeting merchant ships passing by with a view to then demanding ransoms for kidnapped crews.

Sam Chambers

Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune.
Back to top button