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Hijacked on Oct 29 northeast of Somalia, the 'Azini' was freed by the Indian Navy, which rescued its 20 crew members on Nov 2. The European Maritime Safety Centre (MSCIO) had feared the vessel could be used as a mothership to launch attacks against merchant ships in the Indian Ocean. The operation was meticulously coordinated over 48 hours. Forces involved were the Navy destroyer 'Kolkata', maritime reconnaissance assets and Marine Commandos augmented via a precision airdrop by an Indian Air Force (IAF) C-17 aircraft. Report with photo and video: https://www.meretmarine.com/fr/marine-marchande/somalie-la-marine-indienne-libere-un-boutre-detourne-par-des-pirates https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cGvsva_Ztk

The 'HK Tug' was subject to an incident of armed robbery again, while being underway with the barge 'LKH 2882' in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme in the Singapore Strait in pos. 1° 14.42' N 104° 0.97' E on Oct 17, 2026, at 3.23 p.m. The towed barge was boarded by six unarmed perpetrators. While the crew was not injured, scrap metals were stolen from the barge. The last robberies were by five perpetratos about 3.8 nautical miles from Pulau Nongsa, in pos. 01° 15'64 N 104° 6'19 E, in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore on Jan 16, 2026, at 1.35 a.m., and by 18 perpetratos on Dec 25, 2025, at 1.30 p.m. and at 3.10 p.m., while being underway in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme of the Singapore Strait in pos. 01° 12'38 N 103° 54'88 E.

The 'Cape Syros', enroute from Hong Kong to Manila, was targeted by suspected pirates in waters north of Bataan on Nov 2, 2026. A group of young Filipino individuals allegedly boarded the vessel and stole copper materials and liferafts. The circumstances surrounding the reported incident, including the safety of the crew and the extent of the alleged theft, have yet to be independently confirmed. The ship was anchored in pos. 14° 36' N 120° 50' E.

While the 'HK Tug 8' towed the barge 'LKH 2882', the latter was boarded twice by on the whole 18 perpetratos on Dec 25 at 1.30 p.m. and at 3.10 p.m., while being underway in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme of the Singapore Strait in pos. 01° 12'38 N 103° 54'88 E. The crew members were not injured, but some scrap metals were stolen.

On Oct 29, 2026, at around 9 a.m. Somali pirates have hijacked the 'Azini' off the northeastern coast of Somalia, between the coastal towns of Bandar Bayla and Hafun in Somalia’s northeastern Puntland region. The fishing vessel was carrying 23 people, including 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali security guards. Eight armed men initially boarded the vessel and overpowered the two Somali guards on board. The captain managed to send a distress voice message to another vessel before communications were lost. Four additional attackers joined them later, bringing the total number of pirates to 12. The crew’s fate remained unknown. Maritime security authorities have not confirmed whether the crew members were safe or whether any contact has been established with the hijackers. They warned that the hijacked vessel could potentially be used as a mother ship to support further attacks on commercial shipping. The Maritime Security Centre – Indian Ocean (MSCIO) subsequently tracked the vessel moving eastwards, with its latest reported pos. at 09°47’ N, 055°45’ E. An updated maritime warning indicated that the 'Azini' was approaching a commercial traffic lane. Ships operating in the surrounding waters have been advised to maintain heightened vigilance and report suspicious activity. The hijacking came amid renewed concerns over piracy off Somalia’s long coastline. Maritime security reports indicated that at least 15 piracy-related incidents have been reported in the region since April. The 'Azini' was the third Iranian fishing vessel hijacked off the Somali coast since July. The European Union’s naval Operation Atalanta was investigating the hijacking. Maritime authorities have urged vessels operating in the area to follow established security procedures, remain alert and report any suspicious activity.