GAROWE, Somalia: Reports indicate that suspected pirates have boarded a St. Kitts and Nevis-flagged general cargo vessel near Somali waters and are steering it towards the coastline.

British maritime security groups Vanguard and Ambrey have issued alerts regarding this incident.

The resurgence of pirate activity off the Horn of Africa has raised concerns among international authorities.

Somali pirates were known to cause significant disruption in the coastal waters between 2008 and 2018, but activity had declined until late 2023 when reports began to surface again of renewed pirate operations.

Vanguard released a statement noting that armed pirates reportedly hijacked the vessel named Sward in the vicinity of Godobjiran, Somalia.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed this incident as a hijack, specifying that it occurred 6 nautical miles northeast of Garacad.

The Sward is said to have a crew of 15 individuals, comprising two Indian nationals and thirteen Syrians, according to Vanguard.

Ambrey provided additional context stating that the cargo vessel was en route from Suez, Egypt, to Mombasa, Kenya at the time it was boarded by pirates.

All but two of the crew members were present on the bridge during the hijacking, with the remaining two mechanics located elsewhere onboard.

At the time of reporting, attempts to gather comments from Puntland's assistant information minister and local security officials were unsuccessful.

In November 2025, a similar incident occurred when armed assailants attacked a commercial tanker off Mogadishu, marking the first such event since 2024.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely.