Piracy risks in the Gulf of Aden are drawing fresh attention as the European Union’s Operation Atalanta patrols a vital shipping corridor amid a sharp rise in Somali hijackings this year. An Associated Press report from aboard the Spanish frigate leading the mission describes how crews use helicopter and drone surveillance to spot and deter would-be attackers.

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What the EU patrol is seeing

The AP report, published Nov. 10 after a visit to the frigate ESPS Santa María, says Operation Atalanta commander José Rodrigues Pedra reported 79 pirate attacks in the wider region since November 2023, including roughly 30 since the Iran war began in February. Those figures are his account to the AP; they should not be confused with attacks by Yemen’s Houthi forces on commercial shipping.

Separate reporting points to a marked increase in Somali piracy. The Royal United Services Institute said six commercial vessels had been seized since late April, after only three commercial hijackings off the Horn of Africa in nearly 14 years. Al Jazeera, citing an analysis of International Maritime Organization data, reported at least 15 attacks since the start of 2026 by late August. Both accounts note that activity remains below the peak of the early 2010s.

A changing shipping risk

Atalanta’s aircraft and drones help crews monitor waters and communicate warnings to ships. The mission says it shares information with partner naval forces in the region. Its Oct. 16 update said the tanker MT Asana remained under pirate control in Somali waters; the AP’s new report also described it as still held.

The renewed incidents matter because the Gulf of Aden and nearby Bab el-Mandeb connect the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean and are important routes between Asia and Europe. Shipping companies may respond with additional security measures or route changes, adding time and expense. But the AP quoted the Atalanta commander cautioning against a simple causal link between the region’s conflicts and piracy: he said instability can create conditions for illegal activity, while piracy’s return has several drivers.

Why the historical comparison matters

International patrols and stronger shipboard precautions helped suppress Somali piracy after its early-2010s peak. RUSI and Al Jazeera both stress that today’s attacks are still far fewer than during that crisis. The current concern is whether more hijackings will persist while naval forces are stretched across multiple regional threats.

Read more of The Globuzz’s reporting from the World news desk.

Sources

Associated Press, original report from the Operation Atalanta patrol; EU Naval Force Operation Atalanta, incident update; Royal United Services Institute, analysis of the 2026 hijackings; and Al Jazeera, reporting on IMO incident data.