EU Forces Investigating Second Suspected Piracy Attack off Somalia

The EUNAVFOR operation to maintain security off the Horn of Africa issued an alert for another suspected piracy incident, the second this month, involving a dhow off Somalia. EUNAVFOR Atalanta reports it was informed of the suspect incident that took place on February 17, and it is investigating.

Few details have been provided so far on this latest attack other than it took place off Garmaal, which Atalanta reports is near Eyl, where past attacks took place. It is along the northern coast of Puntland a semi-autonomous region in Somalia and notorious for piracy.

The suspect vessel is reported to be a Yemini-flagged dhow. Atalanta is working with the Yemeni Coast Guard and the Puntland Maritime Police Force as well as the international Combined Maritime Forces.

This incident comes ten days after another pirate attack on the Yemeni-flagged dhow, Al Najma. The vessel which had 12 crewmembers aboard was seized near Ely on February 9. The EU naval forces began a search to locate the vessel and when they approached the dhow the pirates fled after robbing the crew. It was liberated on February 13.

After the two recent incidents, Operation Atalanta is strongly recommending merchant and other vulnerable vessels register on the Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO) website and its Voluntary Registration Scheme (VRS). Atalanta says this will provide the most effective monitoring and response by ATALANTA forces and their partners in countering maritime security threats.

Yesterday, it also highlighted its ongoing efforts through what it calls “Friendly Approaches.” Atalanta teams engage directly with fishing men at sea, providing guidance on security measures, understanding their challenges, and reinforcing trust in the waterways.

Atalanta’s data shows a pattern of attacks, and in 2024 the wave began in January and continued through the first quarter. Last year, there were five incidents reported in January versus this year when it was quiet between November when a Chinese commercial fishing boat was seized and last week when the Yemeni dhow was seized.