The UKTMO (United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations) has reportedly announced that the fishing dhow Asayr 2 has been released by the Somali pirates that had taken it for use as a mother ship off Puntland.
The pirates were keeping 7 hostages on board the dhow hijacked on March 23th 2017 off Somalia, indicating that it could be intended for use as a mother ship for further attacks.This was the second attack in the same region during March.
The dhow was finally released after the pirates took one skiff, food and diesel. The whereabouts of the pirates is still unknown.
However, attacks on dhows and small fishing vessels like the Asayr 2 are not uncommon and have occurred along the Somali coast over the last few years, despite larger reporting agencies not reporting such incidents.
The attack on the Asayr 2 and the ARIS 13 should be taken as a warning to the seafaring community that there is the potential for piracy in the region.
