Iranian trawler hijacked off Somalia, pirates hold 23 crew hostage
An Iranian fishing trawler has fallen into the hands of pirates off the north-eastern coast of Somalia. A total of 23 people on the trawler, named 'Azini' — 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards — have been taken hostage.
According to the European Union's Maritime Security Centre for the Indian Ocean (MSCIO), armed pirates attacked the trawler at around 12:30pm local time on Sunday (1 November) and took control of it. The hijacking took place about 185 nautical miles east of the Somali port city of Bandar Beyla.
An official of the Puntland Maritime Police told the AP news agency that 12 pirates had taken the trawler and its crew hostage. No confirmed information has yet been received about the hostages' physical condition or safety.
According to reports, the structure of the 'Azini' is such that it could serve as a 'mother ship' for the pirates. Pirates typically hijack small and medium vessels of this type and use them as mobile bases, allowing them to attack commercial ships far from the coast, beyond the reach of ordinary speedboats.
The MSCIO said that after the hijacking the trawler moved a further 110 nautical miles east and is positioned near a very busy international commercial shipping route. The agency fears the pirates may use the trawler to attempt a new hijacking of a larger vessel in the area.
Somali pirate activity has risen again since April this year. AP reported that from that period through the summer, pirates hijacked at least six commercial vessels, with loss of life in some of those incidents.
In September, Puntland security forces raided a hijacked oil tanker named 'Honour 25' and arrested 16 suspected pirates. Before the operation, however, five hostages lost their lives in gunfire.
The European Union's naval operation, 'Operation Atalanta', is investigating the incident. All commercial vessels in the region have been instructed to remain extra vigilant and to inform the authorities quickly if they see any suspicious activity.
