Twin Hijackings Off Somalia Signal Dangerous Escalation in Pirate Resurgence

Fresh concerns over a widening resurgence in Somali piracy intensified over the weekend after the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported two apparent vessel hijackings off Somalia within hours of each other, in what could mark a troubling shift from opportunistic attacks to successful seizures of commercial ships.

The incidents come just weeks after European naval forces disrupted the hijacking of the Iranian fishing dhow ALWASEEMI, which pirates had sought to use as a mothership for attacks on merchant shipping—an episode already viewed as a warning sign that pirate action groups were probing for openings in the western Indian Ocean.

According