MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – Sunday’s attempt by armed Somali men to hijack a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Aden was thwarted by a U.S warship.
According to a security source in central Somalia, the pirates from the Garacad area were specifically targeting Israeli-owned vessels, influenced by the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
“The team was responsible for the attack. It was not successful, but it was an operation in support of the brothers in Gaza,” revealed the source, identified only as Abdi, who declined to provide full names for this story.
Operating from a skiff boat, the pirates had established connections with Houthi militia in Yemen, a region known for illicit weapons trafficking that supplies Somali pirates and terrorist groups like Al-Shabaab and ISIS in Somalia.
“The Somali pirates had no issue with the Houthis because this mission was to target Israeli vessels, something they are determined to make happen,” added Abdi.
Recent events highlight a concerning trend, as just last week, Houthi militia seized another Israeli-linked cargo ship in the southern Red Sea, as reported by Reuters.
This incident marks a shift, as Somalia had experienced no piracy incidents since 2017.