​Somalia: Pirates hijack Indian cargo vessel

GAROWE, Puntland- Suspected Somali pirates were reported to hijack Indian-flagged vessel along with crew members on April 1, Garowe Online reports.

The vessel named “Al Kaushar” was seized on its way to Mukala port in Yemen from UAE, but the captain of the ship managed to report to authorities in Dubai and owner of the vessel. However, it is not clear where the pirates have intercepted the vessel.

Last month it was reported that Somali pirates from Puntland have took over a fishing ship to use it as a decoy to intercept large vessels passing off the coast of Somalia.

It came following recent hijack of Oil Tanker Aris-13 near Alula district in Puntland, but released after rapid intervention by the region’s maritime forces and elders who negotiated with the pirates to peacefully release the vessel and crew without conditions.

The recent piracy incidents off the coast of Puntland raised serous concerns to the surge of piracy again in the Horn of Africa following its sharp decline since 2012.

In their peak in 2011, Somali pirates launched over 230 attacks off the coast of Somalia, according to data from the International Maritime Bureau, and held hundreds of hostages.

GAROWEONLINE