Puntland Police Confirm 12 Pirates Seized Iranian Vessel Azini
The Maritime Security Center Indian Ocean warned that the captured ship could serve as a base for attacks on commercial traffic in the Gulf of Aden.
By Marco Whitaker ·
Somali pirates took control of the Iranian fishing vessel Azini on Thursday, capturing 23 people in northeastern Somalia. A maritime security officer with the Puntland Maritime Police Force confirmed the seizure to The Associated Press on Sunday. The officer spoke on the condition of anonymity because he did not have official authorization to address the media.
The hijacking occurred between the coastal towns of Bandar Bayla and Hafun. The Azini carried 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards at the time of the capture. Twelve pirates boarded and seized the vessel, according to the Puntland officer. The Maritime Security Center Indian Ocean stated in an alert dated Saturday that the safety of the crew remained unknown.
The security center issued an updated warning suggesting the pirates could use the Azini as a mother ship. Such a vessel would support further attacks on commercial shipping. The Azini was approaching a commercial shipping lane at the time of the seizure. The European Union’s naval Operation Atalanta began investigating the incident. The center urged all ships in the area to report suspicious activity.
This event marks a resurgence in Somali piracy across the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean. Pirates hijacked six commercial vessels between April and August. Some attacks occurred far from the Somali coastline. One notable capture was the oil products tanker Sibu 1, seized about 136 nautical miles east of al-Mukalla, Yemen.
In September, Puntland authorities reported that pirates killed five crew members of the tanker MT Honour 25 before security forces recovered the vessel. The tanker had been held since April. Local officials detained 16 suspected pirates in that incident.
Shipping in the region faces additional pressure from the ongoing Iran war. Attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and threats from Yemen’s Houthi rebels against Saudi-linked shipping through Bab el-Mandeb have complicated trade routes. These disruptions have lengthened voyages and increased costs. The Associated Press reported in September that some oil shipments diverted around Africa faced journeys up to a month longer. Daily spot charter rates for tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz reached $1 million.
