Unconfirmed media reports suggest that on Monday 3rd April (2017), pirates hijacked a Pakistani cargo vessel carrying food, Salama 1, soon after seizing an Indian-owned boat, MSV Al Kausar. Reports suggest the Dhow is in the vicinity of El Hur and was en-route to Kismayo.
Intelligence Comment: The mayor of Hobyo, a town on the central Somali coast, has told regional media sources that the Salama 1 was reportedly headed to the area with an unknown number of crew. The former director of intelligence in Somalia’s Puntland region, Abdi Hassan Hussein, believes that piracy is re-emerging in the region and suggests there are organised groups in advanced preparations to conduct attacks, “ There are more than eight groups who are want to engage piracy activities, some of them already went into the sea, some are in preparation and some have already carried out attacks,”.
Hussein believes Yemenis are involved in piracy, supplying the Somali pirates with logistics such as vessels, weapons, ammunition, GPS, fuel and engines. He said the Yemenis who are helping the Somali pirates are taking advantage of the chaos in their own country, but that they are not conducting the operations just facilitating them.
