To add to the instability in the region, Somali pirates are back hunting targets while Houthis to the north in Yemen are attacking ships too, and bringing much marine traffic to a halt in the Red Sea.
The Malta-flagged, Bulgarian-owned bulk carrier Ruen, hijacked last week, arrived over the weekend off Bander Murcaayo, in Puntland, Somalia with Bulgaria’s prime minister stating ransom negotiations are likely to start soon to release the ship’s crew.
The crew of 18 had retreated to the ship’s citadel when the hijacking took place, but the pirates were able to get in there and forcibly get the crew to take the ship to Somalia. According to the reports published in splash247.com .
This marks the first act of Somali piracy since the Adis 13 in 2017 with security consultants stating that further ships are being hunted. Somali piracy was rampant for a four-year period from 2008 to 2012.
