Somalia’s Maritime Police Intensify Red Sea Patrols After Failed Pirate Hijacking

In response to a recent failed pirate hijacking in the Gulf of Aden, Somalia’s maritime police force in the semiautonomous region of Puntland has ramped up patrols in the Red Sea. The commander, Abdullahi Mohamed Ahmed, informed The Associated Press that patrols have doubled and are now on a 24-hour rotation to deter pirate activities.

Ahmed expressed the challenges faced, stating, “Here now we have many challenges. We had initially dealt with the pirates and stopped their activities, but recently on top of al-Shabab and IS, we have had to look out for them again.”

On Sunday, the U.S. military reported the capture of five men attempting to hijack an Israeli-linked tanker off the coast of Yemen. The armed attackers had seized the Liberian-flagged Central Park in the Gulf of Aden. After attempting to escape using speedboats, they surrendered when pursued by the American destroyer USS Mason.

While Yemeni Houthi rebels have conducted recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf of Eden, the Pentagon clarified that this particular attempt was carried out by Somali nationals. The Somali government has now appealed for international support to prevent a resurgence of piracy in the Horn of Africa.

“Puntland State is all alone in this security effort. No assistance from the African Union Mission in Somalia, the European Union, or any international assistance. But we are doing our best,” Mohamed emphasized.

Somalia faced a piracy peak in 2011, with over 160 recorded attacks off its coast. Although incidents have significantly declined since then, recent events have prompted concerns, leading to the call for international cooperation to address the potential resurgence of piracy in the region.