LONDON, April 27 (Xinhua) — The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said late Sunday that a cargo vessel had been hijacked off Somalia’s northeastern coast near Garacad.
According to a UKMTO warning, the incident occurred about six nautical miles northeast of Garacad. A third-party report said unauthorized individuals had taken control of the cargo vessel and redirected it into Somali territorial waters.
The warning followed a separate hijacking advisory issued by the UKMTO on Saturday involving a tanker seized off Somali waters. In that incident, military authorities reported unauthorized persons had taken control of the vessel on Tuesday and maneuvered it about 77 nautical miles south within Somali territorial waters.
According to media reports, the tanker, identified as Honour 25, was carrying 17 crew members and 18,500 barrels of oil destined for the Somali capital Mogadishu. Reports said the hijacking could worsen fuel shortages in the city, where gasoline prices have surged amid tensions in the Middle East.
The UKMTO said the latest incidents point to an increased threat from organized pirate activity in Somali waters, advising vessels transiting the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity while investigations continue.
Piracy off Somalia, once among the gravest maritime security threats in the world, had declined sharply over the past decade, but recent incidents have renewed concerns over a possible resurgence. ■
