Piracy attacks off Somalia surge in 2026: AFP analysis of IMO data
AFP analysis found at least 15 attacks this year, with pirates seizing six vessels and holding more than 90 seafarers captive, the IMO said.
- IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez demanded the immediate release of over 90 seafarers held captive aboard six vessels in the Gulf of Aden. "I demand the immediate and unconditional release of all those being held captive," Dominguez said.
- Ending a decade of stability, piracy has returned to the Gulf of Aden with six commercial vessels seized since April. The latest hijacking involved the tanker Seamull on August 20, which was diverted toward Somalia.
- Six armed individuals hijacked Seamull about 136 nautical miles east of Al Mukalla, Yemen, taking 20 crew members hostage. This attack followed the seizure of the Lutuf three days earlier, which had a ten-member crew.
- Dominguez warned that international naval resources are currently divided between maritime flashpoints including the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz, potentially allowing piracy to regain a foothold. He urged governments to ensure ships follow best management practices.
- While current figures remain below the 2011 peak, piracy off the Horn of Africa has reached its highest levels since 2013. The IMO continues supporting regional cooperation frameworks, including the Djibouti Code and Jeddah Amendment.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Piracy attacks off Somalia surge in 2026: AFP analysis of IMO data
At least 15 attacks were reported since the start of the year, according to reports from the IMO's Global Integrated Shipping Information System analysed by AFP. The reports cover incidents since 1994 in the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean within 2,000 km (1,240 miles) of Somalia. The region had recorded no more than a handful of pirate attacks a year since 2013, and five in 2025. But attacks have multiplied in 2026, particula…
Piracy has become more common, especially in the Gulf of Aden between Somalia and Yemen.
22 Indian sailors held in two ship hijackings: Why Somali piracy is making a comeback
Last week, the Indian government said two ships carrying Indian crew members had been hijacked in separate incidents off Yemen and Somalia. The Ministry of External Affairs says all the Indian nationals are safe and that the government is in touch with the concerned authorities. But the two incidents have also renewed concerns about piracy off Somalia, at a time when shipping in the wider region is already under pressure from the conflict in Wes…
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