Somalia piracy surge threatens merchant vessels in the Western Indian Ocean

Maritime security firm Palaemon reports a notable rise in piracy off Somalia, with multiple suspicious approaches, aggressive small‑craft activity and a possible dhow hijacking near the southern coast. Recent incidents include the seizure of the oil tanker Honour 25 on April 21, about 30 nautical miles off Puntland, carrying ten Pakistani crew members; one of them is being held in dire conditions, prompting protests in Karachi. On May 2, Somali pirates hijacked the tanker Eureka off Yemen’s coast and raised the ransom demand from $3 million to $10 million.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations issued a “substantial” threat‑level warning after at least three vessels were hijacked off Puntland in April. Analysts point to reduced naval patrols due to other Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz priorities, higher fuel prices making tankers lucrative targets, and the suspension of US development funding to Somalia as factors fueling the resurgence. Underlying political instability and extreme poverty in Somalia continue to enable piracy, which has evolved from coastal self‑defence into a high‑precision ransom industry.