Suspected Somali pirates abandon Yemeni fishing boat they seized off Horn of Africa

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Suspected Somali pirates have fled a Yemeni fishing boat they seized off the Horn of Africa and operated for five days, authorities said Monday.

In a statement, a European naval force known as EUNAVFOR Atalanta said the pirates' initial Feb. 17 attack targeted a dhow, a traditional ship that plies the waters of the Mideast, off the town of Eyl in Somalia.

The vessel, called the Saytuun-2, was under their control until Saturday, EUNAVFOR said. The pirates had ladders and weapons, suggesting they possibly sought to hijack other vessels while using the fishing boat as a so-called mothership.

“The fishing vessel was vacated by the alleged pirates after they stole some of the crew’s belongings,” the naval force said. It added that the Saytuun-2's crew now were safe and free.

The Feb. 17 attack came just days after another pirate attack on another Yemeni fishing boat which ultimately ended with the pirates fleeing and the mariners on board being recovered unhurt.

Piracy off the Somali coast peaked in 2011 when 237 attacks were reported. Somali piracy in the region at the time cost the world’s economy some $7 billion — with $160 million paid out in ransoms, according to the Oceans Beyond Piracy monitoring group.

The threat was diminished by increased international naval patrols, a strengthening central government in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, and other efforts.

However, Somali pirate attacks have resumed at a greater pace over the last year, in part due to the insecurity caused by Yemen's Houthi rebels launching their attacks in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

In 2024, there were seven reported incidents off Somalia, according to the International Maritime Bureau.