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Somali Pirates Resurge as Naval Focus Shifts to Yemen's Houthis, Report Says

CC0 / Defense Visual Information Distribution Service / Pirates transiting from MV Faina to shore
Pirates transiting from MV Faina to shore  - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 03.02.2024
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Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, vowed in November 2023 to attack any ships associated with Israel until it halts military actions in the Gaza Strip, prompting the United States to announce the creation of a multinational operation to secure navigation in the Red Sea.
While Western navies are busy trying to quell Houthi militant attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea, Somali pirates are slowly starting to ramp up their activities, the US media reported, citing the International Maritime Bureau, a piracy watchdog, the European Union Naval Force and the British Navy.
In December, the International Maritime Bureau said that Somali pirates seized their first ship in six years when the cargo ship Ruen was boarded and taken to a port in the East African country.
"The hijacking of the Ruen, boarding of the vessel in January, and the reported hijacking of fishing vessels which have traditionally been used as mother vessels is a concern," Cyrus Modi, a director at the International Maritime Bureau, told the media.
In addition, the outlet cited the UK Navy, which issued a shipping advisory this week warning that pirates are operating in the Indian Ocean.
Similar warnings came from the European Union Naval Force, which spoke of some attempts by pirates from the East African country to hijack ships since December, the media outlet said.

"For the maritime industry, the incidents are a chilling reminder of a period — a little over a decade ago — when Somali pirates menaced ships across swaths of the Indian Ocean," the media noted.

According to the report, the extent of the resurgence will depend on how successfully the pirates can revive their old methods, including hijacking ships, taking them to Somalia and waiting for ransom.
This photo released by the Houthi Media Center shows a Houthi forces helicopter approaching the cargo ship Galaxy Leader  - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 27.01.2024
Sub-Saharan Africa
Piracy Off Somalia's Coast Spikes Amid Houthis' Attacks in Red Sea, Reports Say
Following the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have declared that they will attack Israeli territory and will not allow related ships to pass through the waters of the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until the operation in the enclave is halted.
According to the latest figures, the Houthis have attacked more than 30 civilian vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since mid-November last year.
The US and the UK have been striking Houthi targets since mid-January, calling it a response to threats to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. A member of Houthis' high political council, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, described the Western attacks as "barbaric terrorism" and "deliberate and unjustified aggression."
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