Suspected Somali pirates seize Yemeni fishing boat in third such attack in recent weeks

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Suspected Somali pirates have hijacked another Yemeni fishing boat off the Horn of Africa, the third such attack in recent weeks, authorities said Monday.

In a statement, a European naval force known as EUNAVFOR Atalanta said the pirates targeted the ship Sunday off the town of Eyl in Somalia. It identified the vessel as a Yemeni-flagged dhow, a traditional ship that plies the waters of the Mideast.

It said some seven hijackers remained on board the ship, which had a crew of eight Somalis.

The attack marks the third seizure in recent weeks. In February, pirates seized a dhow called the Saytuun-2. That Feb. 17 attack came just days after another pirate attack on another Yemeni fishing boat that ultimately ended with the pirates fleeing and the mariners on board being recovered unhurt.

Piracy off the Somali coast peaked in 2011, when 237 attacks were reported. Somali piracy in the region at the time cost the world’s economy some $7 billion — with $160 million paid out in ransoms, according to the Oceans Beyond Piracy monitoring group.

The threat was diminished by increased international naval patrols, a strengthening central government in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, and other efforts.

However, Somali pirate attacks have resumed at a greater pace over the last year, in part due to the insecurity caused by Yemen's Houthi rebels launching their attacks in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

In 2024, there were seven reported incidents off Somalia, according to the International Maritime Bureau.