A Sri Lankan fishing boat with six people on board was hijacked by suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean, the Sri Lankan Navy said.
“According to our information, they were captured by Somali pirates,” said Sri Lankan Navy spokesman Gayan Wickramasuriya, as quoted by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The official said the boat Lorenzo Puta 4 was diverted on Saturday about 840 nautical miles southeast of the Somali capital Mogadishu.
Since November 2023, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, have increased missile and drone attacks in Yemen, saying they are targeting ships linked to Israel in a show of “solidarity” with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The attacks have forced some shipowners to suspend passages in the Red Sea, through which 12% of global trade typically passes, linking Asia with Europe.
International naval forces have also been deployed north, from the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea, raising fears of a resurgence of pirates who could exploit the gap.
“Sri Lanka has already alerted its joint maritime force,” a spokesman for the international anti-piracy coalition told AFP.
Gayan Wickramasuriya said the Indian Navy has already sent a warship to investigate the situation while its Sinhalese counterpart is preparing a ship to travel to the area.
Pirate attacks off the more than 3,600-kilometer (3,600-kilometer) Indian Ocean coast of Somalia peaked in 2011 before falling sharply in recent years.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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