On February 25, 2025, Somali pirates freed a Yemeni fishing boat and its crew, who had been captured off the Horn of Africa the previous week, according to ABC News. The vessel was initially attacked on February 17 near Eyl, Somalia, by pirates armed with ladders and weapons. After seizing the boat, the pirates looted the crew’s belongings before abandoning the vessel, leaving the crew unharmed.

The European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) mission in the Red Sea first reported the hijacking on February 19, highlighting the incident amid a recent uptick in pirate activity. Piracy off Somalia’s coast reached its height in 2011, with 237 recorded attacks that year, costing the global economy an estimated $7 billion. Enhanced naval patrols and improved governance in Somalia had significantly curbed the threat in subsequent years. However, over the past year, pirate attacks have resurged, fueled in part by regional instability linked to Iran-backed Houthi assaults in the Red Sea corridor.

The International Maritime Bureau has documented seven piracy incidents off Somalia in 2024 alone, signaling a renewed challenge for maritime security in the region.