Image copyright AFP Image caption Piracy off the coast of Somalia has fallen sharply in recent years

Somali pirates have hijacked an Indian cargo vessel off the coast of the Puntland region, officials say.

It was believed to have been travelling between Dubai and Bosasso, in Puntland, when it was seized.

It is the second such attack recently. Last month, pirates seized a tanker bound for Mogadishu but released it apparently without conditions.

That incident was the first hijack of a large commercial ship off the Somali coast since 2012.

Maritime sources have identified the vessel as the Al Kausar with 11 crew on board.

The AFP news agency said it had contacted the vessel's owner and been told it was carrying goods such as wheat and sugar.

A crew member had apparently phoned the owner to tell him the vessel was hijacked at sea last Friday. Five gunmen were said to be on board, but no-one had been hurt.

Senior Indian shipping official Nalini Shankar said the vessel was "not a big ship, but a dhow", the Press Truss of India reported.

The Somali website Daynile said the attack happened some 50km (30 miles) south of the port town of Hobyo.

Billion dollar industry

Piracy off the Somali coast - usually for ransom - has dropped significantly in recent years, in part because of extensive international military patrols as well as support for local fishing communities.

At the height of the crisis in 2011, there were 237 attacks and the annual cost of piracy was estimated to be up to $8bn (£7bn).

The factors that drove many Somali coastal fishermen to become pirates nearly a decade ago are still there, says the BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner.

Somalia is currently in the grip of a famine. Poverty is widespread with few employment options for young people.

There is also continued local resentment at the poaching of fish stocks off the coast by Asian trawlers.</s>Last month, Somali pirates hijacked an oil tanker, the first commandeering of a vessel since 2012 (File Photo)

Mumbai: A cargo ship with 11 Indian crew members on board has been hijacked by pirates off the Somalian coast, officials from the Directorate General of Shipping said on Monday.

"It is not a big ship but a dhow. It was hijacked yesterday and is now sailing towards the shore of Somalia," DGS Malini Shankar told PTI.

The Indian-flagged ship was on a voyage from Dubai to Yemen when it was hijacked, she said, adding that it had 11 Indian crew members on board.

Shankar said the pirates are interested in the cargo on the ship and have not put forward a ransom demand so far, adding that the details of the cargo are not known yet.

There is a possibility of the vessel being released without the cargo once it reaches the shore this evening, she said.

"We understand Somali pirates hijacked a commercial Indian ship and (it is heading) towards Somalia shores," Abdirizak Mohamed Dirir, a former director of the anti-piracy agency in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region, said according to Reuters.

Last month, Somali pirates hijacked an oil tanker, the first commandeering of a vessel since 2012, but released it after a fight with Puntland's marine force.

The hijacking followed an outpouring of anger by locals over foreign fishermen flooding into their waters, some of whom have licences to fish there.</s>A maritime policeman on a tag-boat guards oil tanker Aris-13, which was released by pirates, as it sails to dock on the shores of the Gulf of Aden in the city of Bosasso, northern Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland, March 19, 2017. REUTERS/Abdiqani Hassan

BOSASSO, Somalia (Reuters) - Pirates have hijacked an Indian commercial ship off the coast of Somalia, the second attack in weeks after years of inactivity by pirates, industry and security sources said on Monday.

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which coordinates the management of all merchant ships and yachts in the Gulf of Aden area, said it had received information that a dhow en route to Bosasso from Dubai had been hijacked "in the vicinity of Socotra (Island)".

A spokesman said UKMTO was unable to confirm the location of the vessel, which he identified as Al Kausar, or what had taken place, and that investigations were ongoing.

"We understand Somali pirates hijacked a commercial Indian ship and (it is heading) towards Somalia shores," Abdirizak Mohamed Dirir, a former director of the anti-piracy agency in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region, told Reuters.

Somali pirates hijacked of an oil tanker last month, the first commandeering of a vessel since 2012, but released it after a fight with the Puntland marine force.

Somalis have been angered recently by foreign fishermen flooding into their waters, some of whom have been given licences to fish there by the Somali government.

Graeme Gibbon-Brooks of UK-based Dryad Maritime Security said industry sources had told him the Indian vessel was en route to Bosasso from Dubai when it was hijacked on Saturday.

The pirates were on board and were taking the ship and its 11 crew members to Eyl in Puntland, he said.

India's ministry of external affairs told Reuters it could not confirm the hijack but some local Indian media reported the ship was called Al Kaushar.

In a separate incident that highlights increased pirate activity, UKMTO said on its website that early on Monday, six skiffs had approached a vessel it did not identify and that ladders and hooks were sighted.

The vessel raised alarm, prompting armed guards to take position and the skiffs left, leaving the vessel unharmed, UKTMO said.</s>Latest attack highlights increased piracy in the region after Somali pirates hijacked an oil tanker last month.

Pirates have hijacked an Indian commercial ship off the coast of Somalia, the second attack in weeks after years of inactivity by pirates, industry and security sources said.

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which coordinates the management of all merchant ships and yachts in the Gulf of Aden area, said on Monday it had received information that a vessel en route to Bosasso from Dubai had been hijacked "in the vicinity of Socotra (Island)".

A spokesman said UKMTO was unable to confirm the location of the vessel, which he identified as Al Kausar, or what had taken place, and that investigations were ongoing.

"We understand Somali pirates hijacked a commercial Indian ship and (it is heading) towards Somalia shores," Abdirizak Mohamed Dirir, a former director of the anti-piracy agency in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region, told Reuters news agency.

Somali pirates hijacked an oil tanker last month, the first commandeering of a vessel since 2012, but released it after a fight with the Puntland marine force.

Somalis have been angered recently by foreign fishermen flooding into their waters, some of whom have been given licences to fish there by the Somali government.

Graeme Gibbon-Brooks of UK-based Dryad Maritime Security said industry sources had told him the Indian vessel was en route to Bosasso from Dubai when it was hijacked on Saturday.

The pirates were on board and were taking the ship and its 11 crew members to Eyl in Puntland, he said.

Gibbon-Brooks told AP news agency on Monday that the hijackers wanted a ransom for the crew.

FEATURES: The other side of Somalia's pirates

India's ministry of external affairs told Reuters it could not confirm the hijack but some local Indian media reported the ship was called Al Kaushar.

In a separate incident that highlights increased pirate activity, UKMTO said on its website that early on Monday, six skiffs had approached a vessel and that ladders and hooks were sighted.

The vessel raised alarm, prompting armed guards to take position and the skiffs left, leaving the vessel unharmed, UKTMO said.</s>A cargo ship with 11 Indian crew members on board has been hijacked by pirates off the Somalian coast, officials from the Directorate General of Shipping said today. “It is not a big ship but a dhow. It was hijacked yesterday and is now sailing towards the shore of Somalia,” DGS Malini Shankar told PTI.

The Indian-flagged ship was on a voyage from Dubai to Yemen when it was hijacked, she said, adding that it had 11 Indian crew members on board. Shankar said the pirates are interested in the cargo on the ship and have not put forward a ransom demand so far, adding that the details of the cargo are not known yet.

There is a possibility of the vessel being released without the cargo once it reaches the shore this evening, she said.

Instances of Somali pirates striking have come down considerably over the past few years, helping India convince the insurance bodies to do away with a high-risk premium the trade was paying.

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App now</s>Pirates have hijacked an Indian commercial ship off the coast of Somalia, the second attack in weeks after years of inactivity, industry and security sources said on Monday.

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which coordinates the management of merchant ships and yachts in the Gulf of Aden area, said it had received information that a dhow en route to Bosasso from Dubai had been hijacked "in the vicinity of Socotra (Island)".

A spokesman said UKMTO could not confirm the location of the vessel, which he identified as Al Kausar, or what exactly had taken place, and that investigations were continuing.

"We understand Somali pirates hijacked a commercial Indian ship (and it is heading) towards Somalia shores," Abdirizak Mohamed Dirir, a former director of the anti-piracy agency in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region, told Reuters.

Somali pirates hijacked an oil tanker last month, the first commandeering of a vessel since 2012, but released it after a clash with the Puntland marine force.

Somalis have been angered recently by foreign fishermen flooding into their waters, some of whom have been given licences to operate there by the Somali government.

Graeme Gibbon-Brooks of UK-based Dryad Maritime Security said industry sources had told him the Indian vessel was en route to Bosasso from Dubai when it was hijacked on Saturday.

The pirates were on board and were taking the ship and its 11 crew members to Eyl in Puntland, he said.

An Indian government official briefed on the incident confirmed the crew's number, said they were all Indian, that the vessel was an unmechanised dhow, and that officials were in touch with the Somali government.</s>Pirates have seized a small boat and kidnapped its 11 Indian crew members off the coast of Somalia, an investigator said Monday, the latest vessel targeted by the region's resurgent hijackers.

The attack on the small ship happened Saturday as the vessel passed through the narrow channel between Yemen's Socotra island and the Somali coast, said Graeme Gibbon Brooks, the CEO of the maritime firm Dryad Maritime.

The pirates are taking the vessel to the Eyl area of northern Somalia, he said.

The small dhow, a traditional wooden ship common in regional waters, initially was heading from Dubai to Bosaso, Somalia, he said.

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which coordinates the management of all merchant ships and yachts in the Gulf of Aden area, said it had received information that a dhow en route to Bosasso from Dubai had been hijacked 'in the vicinity of Socotra (Island)'.

A spokesman said UKMTO was unable to confirm the location of the vessel, which he identified as Al Kausar, or what had taken place, and that investigations were ongoing.

'We understand Somali pirates hijacked a commercial Indian ship and (it is heading) towards Somalia shores,' Abdirizak Mohamed Dirir, a former director of the anti-piracy agency in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region, said.

Somali pirates hijacked of the Comoros-flagged oil tanker Aris 13 last month, the first commandeering of a vessel since 2012.

They later released the vessel and its Sri Lankan crew after a fight with the Puntland marine force.

Somalis have been angered recently by foreign fishermen flooding into their waters, some of whom have been given licences to fish there by the Somali government.

India's ministry of external affairs told Reuters it could not confirm the hijack but some local Indian media reported the ship was called Al Kaushar.

In a separate incident that highlights increased pirate activity, UKMTO said on its website that early on Monday, six skiffs had approached a vessel it did not identify and that ladders and hooks were sighted.

The vessel raised alarm, prompting armed guards to take position and the skiffs left, leaving the vessel unharmed, UKTMO said.</s>An Indian commercial ship, with eleven crew members, has been hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, a former government anti-piracy official said on Monday.

"We understand Somali pirates hijacked a commercial Indian ship and (it is heading) towards Somalia shores," Abdirizak Mohamed Dirir, former director of the anti-piracy agency in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region, told Reuters.

Al Kaushar, an Indian oil tanker, was heading to the Al Mukala port in Yemen from Dubai when it was hijacked by Somali pirates on April 1.

Somali pirate menace has returned after a five year doldrums. The piracy had reached its peak in 2010 following which shipping companies started to take armed guards on their ships. These guards would "show weapons" to pirates and also fire a warning shot if required to chase them away.

Pirates had hijacked a merchant fuel tanker off the Somali coast in mid-March this year, making it the first successful hijacking of a major commercial vessel in the Somali Basin since 2012, Reuters reported.</s>BOSASSO, Somalia, April 3 (Reuters) - Pirates have hijacked an Indian commercial ship off the coast of Somalia and the vessel is heading toward the shore, a former government anti-piracy official told Reuters on Monday.

"We understand Somali pirates hijacked a commercial Indian ship and (it is heading) towards Somalia shores," Abdirizak Mohamed Dirir, a former director of the anti-piracy agency in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region, said.

Graeme Gibbon-Brooks of UK-based Dryad Maritime Security said industry sources had told him the vessel was en route to Bosasso from Dubai when it was hijacked on Saturday.

The pirates were on board and were taking the ship and its 11 crew members to Eyl in Puntland, he said.

Last month, Somali pirates hijacked an oil tanker, the first commandeering of a vessel since 2012, but released it after a fight with Puntland's marine force.

The hijacking followed an outpouring of anger by locals over foreign fishermen flooding into their waters, some of whom have licences to fish there. (Reporting by Abdiqani Hassan; Additional reporting by Katharine Houreld in Nairobi; Writing by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Louise Ireland)</s>An Indian-registered cargo ship has been seized by suspected Somali pirates, the European Union Naval Force and piracy announced said on Monday.The ship is now in the vicinity of Hobyo in north-central Somalia, according to EU Navfor, which runs anti-piracy operations in the area.“An EU Naval Force maritime patrol aircraft has confirmed the exact location of the dhow and has attempted to establish radio communications, but without success,” the statement said.Piracy expert John Steed from the organisation Oceans Beyond Piracy said MS Al Kausar had been seized off the Yemeni island of Socotra on Saturday and had 10 Indian crew on board.READ: Sri Lanka To Become Ideal Location For Indian FilmsShipping Ministry officials in New Delhi confirmed that a ship had been seized by pirates, but said they did not know the number of crew on board.“It’s not a regular ship, but a smaller ship, a dhow. Ministry officials just have preliminary information,’’ Spokeswoman Neeta Prasad said.“The Indian authorities seem to be in touch with the pirates,” Steed said, but Indian officials did not confirm that.“Investigations and operations are ongoing,” EU Navfor said.The hijacking was the second by suspected Somali pirates in less than a month. In March, pirates released a fuel tanker with Sri Lankan crew after Somali maritime police intervened.That incident was the first hijacking of a commercial vessel off Somalia since 2012.International patrols and the presence of security guards on board vessels have dissuaded pirates.
Somali pirates hijack an Indian cargo ship off the coast of Puntland.