The incidence of maritime piracy has seen a surge not only along the Somali coast but also in the Arabian Sea, a trend attributed to the heightened conflict between the Yemeni rebel group Ansar Allah (Houthis) and the US-led naval coalition. This observation comes from Rear Admiral Antonio Bras de Souza of the Brazilian Navy.
According to a report by Folha de S.Paulo, the Brazilian Navy assumed command of the international naval task force established to combat piracy in the vicinity of the Somali coast in January. This marks the third time Brazil has led the mission, although the situation was less volatile in 2021 and 2022.
The admiral commented, "Since the onset of the conflict escalation in the Middle East, there has been a resurgence of pirate attacks, extending beyond the Somali coastline to as far as the Arabian Sea, which is over 1,000 kilometers distant." He attributed the renewed criminal activity to the intensified conflict between the Houthis and the US-led coalition.
In August 2022, the International Chamber of Shipping and other international bodies removed the "high-risk area" designation for the Indian Ocean from January 1, 2023, citing the diminishing threat of piracy off the Somali coast.
In response to the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have threatened to attack Israeli territory and block passage through the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until the operation in Gaza is concluded. Recent data indicates that the Houthis have targeted over 30 civilian vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since mid-November 2023.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Defense-Imagery/Pixabay
Based on materials from TASS