Somalia Coast: Pirates Seize Commercial Cargo Ship

Monitors say eight armed men have taken control of a cargo ship off the coast of Somalia. Renewed pirate activity adds to the problems facing shippers in the Middle East. An unnamed cargo ship has been seized by armed pirates off the coast of Somalia, international monitors said on Monday. UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and EU Maritime Security Center Indian Ocean (MSCIO) both issued alerts that the vessel had been boarded by eight armed individuals near the Horn of Africa . What else do we know about the apparent piracy incident off the Horn of Africa? The UKMTO post advised vessels to "transit with caution and report any suspicious activity. MSCIO said, "The crew is reported safe at this time." Piracy on the Horn had fallen after raging through the 2000s and peaking around 2011; but 2026 has seen an uptick in activity, with several ships seized by pirates. Three tankers carrying fertilizer and oil were taken in April and May, and a chemical tanker was commandeered off the coast of Yemen in July. All four are being held off the Somali coast. The return of pirates to the Horn of Africa adds to the grief that international shippers face in the Middle East these days as they seek to avoid the contested Strait of Hormuz and as well as Houthi attacks in the Red Sea . Edited by: Rana Taha AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 600 news and information items daily from over 90 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.