Cargo Vessel Boarded and Controlled 4 NM South of Mareeyo, Somalia

MAREEYO, SOMALIA — UK Maritime Trade Operations received a report at 11:36 AM UTC on August 17 from the company security officer of a cargo vessel stating that eight armed unauthorized persons boarded the ship and took control of it 4 nautical miles south of Mareeyo, Somalia.

Authorities are investigating. UKMTO advises vessels to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity. No vessel name, flag, crew size, cargo, or current position beyond the reported location has been released by UKMTO.

No independent confirmation of the boarding or control from MSCIO, Combined Maritime Forces, or flag-state authorities appears in public records. No further UKMTO product had been issued by 5:44 AM UTC on August 18.

The Joint Maritime Information Centre advisory note released by UKMTO on August 16 recorded no confirmed attacks or disruptions in the Somali Coast and Somali Basin during the preceding reporting window and restated that four merchant vessels remained held.

Locations Affected

The incident is reported 4 nautical miles (approximately 4.6 miles or 7.4 km) south of Mareeyo, Somalia. Multiple geographic references place a locality named Mareero (also rendered Mareeyo or Marero) in the Nugaal region of Puntland near Eyl at approximately 7.95°N, 49.18°E (GeoNames and OpenStreetMap-derived records).

A separate coastal feature of the same name lies farther north near Bosaso in the Bari region at approximately 11.33°N, 49.30°E.

UKMTO provides no exact latitude or longitude for the boarding itself. The position is therefore referenced solely to the named coastal point given in Warning 114-26.

The surrounding waters form part of the northern Somali Basin approach, inside or immediately adjacent to Somali territorial waters, and lie within the UKMTO Voluntary Reporting Area.

What Happened

• UKMTO Warning 114-26 reports receipt of a company security officer account of boarding by eight armed unauthorized persons who took control of a cargo vessel 4 nautical miles south of Mareeyo at 11:36 AM UTC on August 17.

• The warning classifies the event as a hijack and cites the company security officer as the sole source.

• No vessel name, flag, crew details, or independent confirmation from MSCIO, Combined Maritime Forces, or any flag state has been released.

Four Vessels Remain Under Pirate Control In Northern Somali Waters

Four vessels remain under pirate control in northern Somali territorial waters as of the EUNAVFOR Operation ATALANTA update on July 29: the Palau-flagged product tanker Honour 25 (hijacked April 21, crew of up to 17, most Pakistani), the Saint Kitts and Nevis-flagged general cargo vessel Sward (hijacked April 26, crew of up to 15, most Syrian), the Togo-flagged product tanker Eureka (hijacked May 2 off Yemen and diverted, crew of 12, eight Egyptian), and the Tanzania-flagged product tanker Asana (hijacked July 17 off Yemen and diverted, crew of up to 22, half Indian).

Official Statements

UK Maritime Trade Operations, Warning 114-26, 17 August 2026: “UKMTO has received a report of an incident 4NM south of MAREEYO SOMALIA. The CSO of a cargo vessel reports being boarded by 8 armed unauthorized persons who have taken control of the vessel. Authorities are investigating. Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO.”