Piracy off Somalia surges to highest level since 2013

A new analysis by the AFP news agency, based on data from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), shows that piracy off the Horn of Africa has climbed to its highest level since 2013. The findings draw on reports submitted to the IMO's Global Integrated Shipping Information System, covering incidents recorded since 1994 across the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean within 2,000 kilometres of Somalia.

At least 15 attacks have been reported since the beginning of 2026. By comparison, the region had seen no more than a handful of attacks annually since 2013, with only five recorded in 2025. The sharpest rise has occurred in the Gulf of Aden, the waterway between Somalia and Yemen that links the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, where eight attacks have taken place since May.

The area, home to some of the world's busiest shipping lanes, has faced major disruption since war broke out between Iran, the United States and Israel on 28 February, a conflict that has affected shipping through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.

The year's largest attack

The most significant incident of 2026 took place on 21 April, when roughly 30 pirates armed with assault rifles and grenade launchers seized the oil tanker Honour 25 north of Eyl, a former fishing town in Puntland that has grown into a key hub for Somali piracy. All 17 crew members were taken hostage, and the pirates continue to hold the 90-metre vessel.

Despite this year's increase, current figures remain far below the levels seen in 2011, the peak year for piracy in the region, when the IMO logged around 200 attacks — a number matched in the two preceding years as well.