Somalia: Maritime Piracy Rises Amid Tensions Around Strategic Straits

Maritime piracy is experiencing a fresh surge off Somalia. Since April 2026, attacks have reached their highest level in more than a decade, TV5MONDE reports. The development comes as tensions between Iran and the United States, along with the targeted blockade attributed to the Houthis in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, disrupt regional shipping routes.

Between January and the end of August, at least 13 vessels were hijacked. Six were still being held for ransom at the end of the month, according to the broadcaster. Maritime security analyses cited in the article point to a shift in commercial vessels towards the Somali coast to avoid conflict zones, while anti-piracy patrols are said to have declined since the start of the crisis.

Two vessels targeted in August

The MV Lutuf, a Cameroon-flagged cargo ship, was attacked on 17 August off Puntland, in northern Somalia. Three days later, the MT Sibu 1, an Eritrean-flagged petroleum products tanker, was hijacked near the Yemeni coast.

The Lutuf was later released, but accounts of the circumstances differ. Mogadishu says an operation conducted with Turkey secured its release and resulted in the deaths of 14 pirates. Puntland authorities dispute this account and maintain that a ransom was paid.

Drone strikes and conflicting accounts

After the hijacking of a vessel suspected of carrying Turkish weapons, a drone strike killed four people off the Nugaal region in Puntland. The Puntland government said fishermen were bombed on 25 and 27 August. Somalia’s federal government acknowledged that it had been informed in advance of the strike, while questioning whether the victims were civilians.

According to TV5MONDE, four of the six vessels held for ransom are believed to be anchored near Bander Beyla, a fishing port in Puntland. The resurgence of attacks is also taking place amid anger over foreign industrial fishing, which is accused of undermining the livelihoods of local fishermen.