Hijacked Dhow Returns to Sea
the Indian Navy took custody of the Indian dhow Al Kausar, which was hijacked by Somali pirates off Socotra Island on April 1. Somali security forces recaptured the dhow.
According to MANA, Rirsi Yusuf Barre, the mayor of Galkayo, Galmudug, told Reuters that troops surrounded 13 pirates holding nine crewmembers. He reported that 10 of the kidnappers surrendered immediately, and the final three gave up after their parents arrived and asked them to come out. In an interview with VOA Somalia, the mayor of the city of Hobyo, Abdullahi Ahmed Ali, confirmed the rescue but gave a much smaller number for the count of pirates captured.
Somali piracy is on a rebound after a five-year hiatus, with five boardings over the course of the past month. International naval patrols and shoreside security forces have enjoyed a relatively high degree of success in thwarting the recent attacks and recovering hostages quickly. No hostage fatalities have been reported.