Pirates hijack cargo ship off Somalia, vessel heads toward coast

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Suspected pirates have boarded a St. Kitts and Nevis-flagged general cargo vessel off Somalia’s coast and were sailing it toward the Somali shoreline, maritime security groups said Monday, in the latest sign of renewed pirate activity in the region.

British maritime security firms Vanguard and Ambrey said the vessel, identified as Sward, was believed to be under pirate control after being boarded near Godobjiran in central Somalia.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the incident took place about 6 nautical miles northeast of Garacad and classified it as a hijacking.

Vanguard said the ship’s 15-member crew included two Indian nationals and 13 Syrians.

“The vessel is currently assessed to be under pirate control and proceeding toward the Somali coastline. The Puntland Maritime Police Force has been notified,” Vanguard said in a security note issued late Sunday.

Ambrey said the vessel had been traveling from Suez, Egypt, to Mombasa, Kenya, when it was boarded. According to the company, all crew members were on the bridge except for two mechanics at the time of the incident.

Officials in Puntland, the semi-autonomous Somali region where the vessel was headed, did not immediately comment.

Piracy off Somalia’s long coastline caused major disruptions to global shipping routes between 2008 and 2018, with armed groups targeting commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

Although attacks had declined sharply in recent years due to international naval patrols and improved onboard security, pirate activity began rising again in late 2023.

In November 2025, armed assailants attacked a commercial tanker off the coast of Mogadishu, marking the first such reported incident since 2024.

Security analysts warn that economic hardship, weak coastal enforcement, and ongoing instability may be contributing to the resurgence of piracy in Somali waters.

GAROWE ONLINE