Somali Pirate Attacks Triple as Shipping Reroutes Around Red Sea
Two commercial ships carrying 22 Indian seafarers have been hijacked in the Indian Ocean this month, renewing international concern over the resurgence of piracy off the Somali coast. Data analysed by NDTV Datafy shows that piracy-related incidents in 2026 have risen nearly threefold compared with the previous year, with more than four months still remaining.
The surge comes amid major disruption to maritime traffic in and around the Strait of Hormuz following the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. The strategic waterway carries roughly 20 per cent of global oil, natural gas and critical raw materials. Frequent closures and attacks have disrupted shipping through the route, prompting many carriers to take longer paths around the southern tip of Africa.
These changes in shipping patterns across the Indian Ocean have raised fears that Somali pirate groups could exploit increased maritime activity in waters within their reach. According to data from the Indian Navy, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and the Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSCIO), only three piracy-related incidents were recorded between January and March this year. The number began rising sharply from April and reached 29 by August 24, 2026.
July recorded the highest number of piracy-related incidents, with eight, followed by April with seven, June with five and May with four. At least 12 successful hijackings have been reported this year, with most of the hijacked vessels subsequently taken towards the Somali coast.
On August 17, the Cameroon-flagged cargo vessel MV Lutuf was hijacked off Somalia's Puntland coast while reportedly sailing towards Mogadishu to deliver weapons for a military exercise. Six Indian crew members were onboard. Three days later, on August 20, the Eritrea-flagged oil products tanker MT Sibu 1 was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden, approximately 55 km off the Yemeni coast. The vessel was carrying 20 crew members, including 16 Indians. Both vessels are now being held inside Somali waters.
The Indian Navy has responded to at least two piracy incidents this year. In May, the Navy foiled a hijacking attempt by chasing away a skiff carrying seven armed pirates that had targeted a vessel off Somalia on May 23. In another incident on July 1, the Navy deployed the stealth frigate INS Trikand after a bulk carrier reported that armed pirates had boarded the ship.
A more worrying trend is the apparent expansion of Somali pirate activity towards vessels operating in and around the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. A Somali lawmaker told CNN earlier this year that Somali pirates had allied with Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi group. This assessment has drawn attention because several recent piracy incidents have taken place close to the Yemeni coast, with some potentially occurring inside Yemeni territorial waters.
Somalia's federal government does not have effective control over all parts of the country, which enables pirates to operate freely. Attackers could be staging the new wave of attacks in the Gulf of Aden from Somaliland, a region that claims self-governance and is not directly ruled by Somalia's federal government. The latest piracy threat assessment released by the MSCIO shows that it now covers the waters of Djibouti, which hosts permanent military facilities of the United States, China and three other countries.
