Armed pirates have seized an Iranian fishing vessel carrying 23 crew members off the coast of Puntland, raising fears that the hijacked ship could be turned into a floating base for attacks on international commercial vessels.
The vessel, identified as Azini, was intercepted at around 0900 UTC near Somalia’s northeastern coast, approximately 185 nautical miles east of Bandarbayla, according to the European Union Naval Force’s Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO).
The crew’s safety remained unknown following the seizure. However, an officer with Puntland’s maritime police told The Associated Press that 12 pirates had taken control of the vessel, holding 21 Iranian fishermen and two Somali security guards.
Security officials are particularly concerned about what the pirates could do with the fishing vessel. MSCIO said the Azini matched the profile of ships previously used by Somali pirate groups as motherships, allowing them to operate farther offshore and launch attacks on larger merchant vessels.
Such vessels provide a mobile base from which pirates can deploy smaller speedboats to approach commercial ships, extending their reach beyond areas accessible to ordinary fishing boats.
The concern intensified after the Azini moved approximately 110 nautical miles farther east by Saturday, reaching coordinates 09°47’N, 055°45’E and bringing it closer to a major international shipping route.
MSCIO reiterated its warning that the hijacked vessel could be used as a pirate mothership, raising the prospect of further attacks on commercial shipping if the pirates exploit its position and capabilities.
The incident adds to growing concerns over the return of piracy along Somalia’s coastline after several years of relative calm. The waters off the Horn of Africa were once among the world’s most dangerous shipping corridors, with pirate groups seizing commercial vessels and demanding large ransoms.
Somalia experienced a major wave of piracy between 2008 and 2018, before attacks declined significantly. However, maritime insecurity began attracting renewed attention in late 2023 as attacks re-emerged in the region.
In August 2026, Turkish naval forces and the Somali National Armed Forces rescued the cargo vessel MV LATUF after pirates hijacked it off the Somali coast.
Somalia’s Defence Ministry said the joint operation destroyed four boats used by the pirates and killed 14 members of the group. Remaining pirates abandoned the vessel after sustained pressure from security forces, allowing troops to take control of the ship and ensure it resumed its journey safely.