Today, the Asian News International (ANI) reported, citing military officials, that an Indian Navy warship is heading toward a kidnapped ship flying the Liberian flag with an Indian crew of 15 on board.
The ship, named Norfolk, was hijacked near the coast of Somalia, and the Indian Navy received information about it on Thursday evening. The Navy has since established contact with the ship’s crew.
This development comes after the British maritime security company, Ambrey, announced yesterday that an armed group seized a cargo ship flying the Liberian flag while it was sailing off the coast of Somalia.
The armed individuals boarded the Liberian-flagged cargo vessel about 458 miles southeast of Eyl in Somalia.
Last month, the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported that armed individuals had taken control of a commercial vessel near the town of Eyl off the coast of Somalia.
The military authorities were cited as the source of information, and an investigation was initiated.
This incident occurs nearly a decade after pirates wreaked havoc on international shipping.
In recent times, there has been a surge in attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea by Houthi rebels in Yemen, disrupting a major global trade route.
The Houthis targeted ships linked to Israel due to the conflict in Gaza. Consequently, the Somali maritime police have intensified patrols following this announcement.
Somali pirates had reached their peak with over 350 attacks between 2010 and 2015 but have significantly diminished since then, largely due to patrols conducted by the US Navy and other allied naval forces.
