Somali pirates have seized the cargo ship Sward six nautical miles off the coast of the semi-autonomous region of Puntland.
This was reported by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and a Puntland maritime police officer, according to the Associated Press.
A total of nine pirates took control of the ship, which was transporting cement from Egypt to Mombasa, Kenya.
A Puntland maritime police officer, who wished to remain anonymous, told the publication:
“The ship is currently under the control of armed men. We are monitoring the situation.”
There were 15 crew members on board — two Indian nationals and 13 Syrians.
At the time of the seizure, all crew members except for two engineers were on the bridge.
This is the second ship seizure off the coast of Somalia in less than a week.
On April 21, pirates hijacked the Palau-flagged oil tanker Honour 25 with 17 crew members, which was transporting 18,500 barrels of fuel to Mogadishu.
According to UKMTO data, there have been a total of four piracy-related incidents off the Somali coast over the past week, including an attack on a fishing schooner.
Somali pirate activity has surged amid instability in the region. They are counting on a large ransom.
The groups use captured vessels as floating bases for attacks on the high seas, employing RPGs and automatic weapons. Somali piracy, which peaked between 2008 and 2012, was largely suppressed thanks to international naval patrols, but a new resurgence is now being observed.
