Reuters: EU sends warship due to suspected Somali pirate activity

The European Union's counter-piracy force has sent a warship to the Somali coast after a group of suspected pirates attempted to attack ships in the area, reports Reuters agency, citing sources in the maritime industry.

Earlier, on November 3, armed attackers attacked a commercial tanker off the coast of Mogadishu, firing on the vessel after it attempted to board. This is the first alleged case of Somali piracy of this kind since 2024, the interlocutors said.

This attack and other incidents have raised concerns about the sea route that transports important energy and goods to world markets.

In the same week, a speedboat also approached a Seychelles-flagged fishing vessel, and maritime security sources reported that another Iranian fishing boat was hijacked by unknown assailants.

The vessel was probably hijacked to be used as a base for attacks, said Vanguard, a British maritime risk management group.

The EU naval mission, Operation ATALANTA, said it was "aware of the situation and is deploying a naval asset to the area," declining to comment further for security reasons.

"It is highly likely that a Somali Pirate Action Group is at sea, and has been operating more than 300 nautical miles [~555 kilometers] offshore Somalia," said British maritime security company Ambrey.

Somali pirate groups operating in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean have been virtually inactive for years.

Meanwhile, Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi group has been a major threat to shipping through the Red Sea leading to the Gulf of Aden since the militants first began carrying out attacks on commercial vessels "in solidarity" with the Palestinians in connection with the war between Israel and Hamas terrorists.

Although the Houthis have agreed to a ceasefire on attacks on US-affiliated vessels, many shipping companies are still wary of resuming flights through these waters, Reuters concludes.

• In February, the United States, on the orders of US President Trump, struck a high-ranking ISIS attack planner and other members of the organization in Somalia.