Somali Pirates Are Back — and This Time They're After Oil Tankers

On Monday, August 17, eight armed pirates seized the cargo ship Lyutuf off the coast of Somalia, roughly four nautical miles (7.4 km) from shore. According to ABC News, the vessel was carrying a shipment of Turkish weapons — cargo that could prove useful for further operations similar to the one in mid-July, when pirates hijacked the Tanzanian-flagged oil tanker MT Asana and towed it to Puntland.

With Somalia grappling with severe drought, chronic hunger and dwindling international aid, the profits from piracy have become too tempting for criminal networks to pass up. Ransoms are no longer demanded solely for the release of tankers and their crews — they're also being sought for the valuable oil and gas cargo on board.

"Pirates now find themselves able to hold cargo worth tens of millions of dollars," said Matt Reisener, a consultant at the international Center for Maritime Strategy.

Red Sea Attacks Are Pushing Ships Closer to Somalia

According to him, attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea are forcing merchant vessels to sail closer to the Somali coast — and, by extension, closer to pirates. "Given today's high oil and gas prices, these tankers have become incredibly valuable — but also extremely vulnerable — targets," Reisener explained.

Recent hijackings bear this out: of the four merchant ships seized by Somali pirates between April and July, three were oil tankers.

A Troubling Alliance Between Pirates and Houthis

Also worrying are the strengthening ties between pirates and Houthi rebels, who are reportedly helping the sea raiders smuggle weapons, providing field training and sharing intelligence.

"If al-Shabaab and the Houthis join forces to seize control of the Red Sea, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden, drawing Somali pirates into the mix, the situation in the region could deteriorate sharply," warned Corey Ranslem, CEO of maritime security firm Dryad Global.

"It would mean that technology available to the Houthis — including guided missiles and drones — could end up in the hands of Somali pirates. That would push the risks to shipping in the region to unprecedented levels," he added.

Source: novinky.cz