Warning to shipowners as pirate mothership and skiff targeted ship off Somalia

After months of relative calm, pirates are once again targeting ships off Somalia’s coast posing renewed threats to global shipping lanes.

A daring attempt to board a ship 332 nautical miles east of Mogadishu, Somalia was foiled as the vessel managed to evade four unauthorised persons, according to a statement from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) on Monday.

The boarding attempt was unsuccessful, as the small craft was challenged by warning shots, forcing it to return to the mothership.

The master reported that four unauthorised persons attempted to board his vessel. “The small craft came from a mothership approximately 5NM to the east of his vessel. The small craft returned to the mother vessel after it was challenged by the vessel,” UKMTO said in a statement.

The small craft with grey and white hull headed towards mothership 5 nautical miles to the east when warning shots were fired.

All crew aboard the ship are reported safe, continuing their journey to the next port of call.

Authorities are already investigating the incident to prevent further incidents in this high-risk maritime zone.

UKMTO has advised ships to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to them.

The latest piracy report comes from United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a voluntary reporting scheme (VRS) for the Indian Ocean, specifically Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Arabian Sea, which details escalating tensions in the Middle East with direct impact on mariners.

In April, maritime security companies have alerted shipowners to a renewed threat of pirate activity off Somalia.

Earlier this year, the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre issued a piracy and armed robbery report, which covers the first nine months of 2025 (January to June).

“While no new incidents have been reported off Somalia since April 2025, Somalia waters maintain a continued threat of potential piratical incidents, particularly as the Southwest Monsoon subsides in the coming months,” the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre said in its report.