Crimeupdated 1h ago2 min read
Archive photo · 29 October 2022Somali Pirates Hijack Iranian Fishing Vessel Azini With 23 People Near Bandar Bayla And Hafun
1 Asian1 Israeli1 Local Western2 Other source typesPhoto: FaarisAdam, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped for layout
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Somali pirates seized the Iranian fishing vessel Azini with 23 crew aboard. The hijacking occurred between Bandar Beyla and Hafun in northeastern Somalia.
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5 outlets told this the same way.
Azini hijacked off Somalia
Somali pirates seized the Iranian fishing vessel Azini carrying 23 people, the European Union’s Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean said as it warned the ship was approaching a commercial shipping lane. The Puntland Maritime Police Force said the Azini was hijacked on Thursday between the coastal towns of Bandar Bayla and Hafun in northeastern Somalia, and a maritime security officer said 12 pirates took control of the vessel.
The officer said the ship carried 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards, and the officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorised to speak with the media. The Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean said the safety of the crew members was unknown, and it warned that pirates could use the vessel as a “buque nodriza” to support attacks against commercial ships.
Operation Atalanta probes
The European Union’s naval Operation Atalanta was investigating the hijacking, and the Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean urged ships in the area to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity. The Puntland Maritime Police Force officer told The Associated Press that 12 pirates seized the vessel, and the officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorised to speak with the media.
The Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean said the Azini could become a floating base for further attacks, and it framed the warning as the ship moved toward a commercial shipping lane. The Times of Israel said the updated warning described the vessel as a “mother ship” to support attacks on commercial vessels, while the Independent en Español described the same concept as a “buque nodriza”.
Wider piracy fears
The Independent en Español said the seizure came after a resurgimiento de la piratería somalí in the golfo de Adén and the west of the Indian Ocean. The Independent en Español said that for August, pirates had seized six commercial vessels since April, and it noted that some attacks occurred far from the coast of Somalia.
The Independent en Español said that in September, Puntland authorities reported that pirates killed five members of the crew of the tanker MT Honour 25 before security forces recovered the vessel, and it added that authorities said 16 suspected pirates were detained. The Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean said the crew’s safety was unknown, and it urged ships in the area to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity as the hijacking raised fears of attacks on cargo ships.