Somali Pirates Board Bulk Carrier, latest inโค Resurgent Wave of Attacks
MOGADISHU, Somaliaโค – Armed pirates boarded a bulk carrier, the MV Merlin, โฃoff the coastโ of Somalia on Thursday, โmarking the latest incident in a concerning โคresurgence of maritime piracy in the region. The EU Naval Force Somalia (EUNAVFOR) confirmedโ the attack and stated โคit is indeed “ready to take the appropriate actions to respond effectively.”
The incident underscores a growing threat to international shipping lanes following โa period of โrelative calm. While Somali piracy had diminished due to international naval patrols and a strengthening Somali government, attacks have increased overโ the last year, fueled byโข instability linked to โthe conflict โฃin Yemenโฃ and the โongoing Israel-Hamas war. In 2024 alone, seven incidentsโข haveโ been reported off the Somali coast, including โขthe seizure of multiple fishing boats. โคThe renewed activity recalls the peak of Somali piracy in 2011, โwhen 237 attacks were recorded, costing the global economy an estimated โฃ$7 billion, โคincluding โ$160 million in ransoms.
The Thursday โฃattack โfollowed a separate incident earlier this weekโฃ involving the Cayman islands-flagged Stolt Sagaland, whereโข armed security personnel exchanged fire with the attackers. EUNAVFOR had recently issued an alert warning shippers that a pirate group was operating in the area and assaults wereโ “almost certain”โฃ to occur.
The โฃInternational Maritime Bureauโฃ reports a continuing pattern of incidents,raising concernsโฃ for the safety of crews and the potential disruptionโค of vital trade routes. EUNAVFOR and other international naval โฃforces are actively monitoring the โคsituation and responding to reported attacks.
