Heavily armed Somali pirates have captured a Chinese fishing vessel off the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, the European Union’s anti-piracy naval force Atalanta has confirmed.
In a statement, EU Naval Force Atalanta said it had received a notification from the Puntland Maritime Police Force that the vessel had been apparently hijacked.
“Assets have been in the vicinity of the Chinese fishing vessel to increase situational awareness and gather information, confirming that the fishing vessel is under the control of the alleged pirates, some of whom are carrying AK-47 [assault rifles] and machine guns. Regarding the crewmembers, there are up to 18 people. None has been injured,” the EU Naval Force said in a statement on 5 December.
“EU NavFor Atalanta is in permanent contact with the appropriate Somali and Chinese authorities, as well as with the Delegation of the European Union to Somalia,” it added.
Atalanta in early November warned of a moderate threat level due to the end of the monsoon season, making sea conditions calmer. Vessels were being urged to maintain a heightened state of vigilance in light of the recent escalation in piracy threats.
“Due to current good weather conditions in the Area of Operation, it is a realistic possibility that a pirate action group could be deployed, and carry out an attack in the Gulf of Aden (likely in the east than west) and Somali Basin,” the warning stated.
EU NavFor said that 19 dhows were hijacked (although most of them released) and 43 incidents were reported between November 2023 and October 2024 as Somali pirates have become emboldened by Houthi attacks on shipping in the region.
