Somali pirates using seized vessel for more attacks
Somali pirates have resumed attacks on international shipping, utilizing previously hijacked vessels to capture new targets. Security officials note that the resurgence is driven by both economic desperation and a lack of effective maritime security.
Why it matters
The return of piracy in the Horn of Africa threatens global supply chains and maritime security in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
A court sketch made on November 16, 2011 at Paris courthouse during their trial, shows three of six alleged Somali pirates accused of taking a French couple hostage on their yacht off the coast of Somalia in 2008 . [AFP] Somali pirates used a previously hijacked ship to seize their latest target, security officials said, while their families told AFP they were partly driven by the impact of illegal fishing trawlers. A new group of pirates from the semi-autonomous Puntland region have led a resurgence of attacks on shipping since April after more than a decade in which the issue was contained by heightened international security measures. On Monday, the Cameroon-flagged cargo ship, Lutuf, was hijacked by eight gunmen, who launched the attack from a ship they seized in April, the MV Sward, Puntland security officials told AFP.
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