A Chinese fishing vessel, carrying up to 18 crew members, was hijacked by suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia’s Puntland region, according to the European Union’s anti-piracy naval force.
The attack, which occurred on Thursday, involved pirates armed with AK-47 rifles and machine guns.
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While the EU naval force labeled the event as a “robbery at sea,” they confirmed that none of the crew members were injured.
Piracy off Somalia’s coast was a major issue from 2008 to 2018, disrupting global shipping, but incidents had decreased in recent years before spiking again late last year.
This hijacking signals a troubling resurgence in pirate activity, particularly in Puntland waters, a longstanding hotspot for such attacks.
