EU sends warship to Somalia, signs of pirates return

The European Union has dispatched a warship to the coast of Somalia as part of the ATALANTA naval mission following a series of suspicious incidents that indicate a return of pirate activity in the region.

Gunmen attempted to attack a tanker off the coast of Mogadishu, the first possible attack of this kind since 2024, while another incident involved an unknown boat approaching a Seychelles fishing boat and the hijacking of an Iranian fishing vessel.

These incidents have raised concerns about the safety of shipping in an area through which important raw materials and goods pass. ATALANTA said it was monitoring the situation and taking action.

According to the British security firm Ambrey, it is likely that pirate groups are again operating more than 300 nautical miles off the Somali coast.

(reuters, mja)