Malta-flagged ship still hijacked off Somali coast

A Maltese-flagged commercial ship hijacked two weeks ago in the Arabian Sea is currently anchored off the coast of Somalia.

The situation, confirmed by Transport Malta, has prompted joint monitoring efforts by the Maltese authorities, the Armed Forces of Malta, and the European Naval Force Somalia Operation Atalanta.

The hijacked vessel, named RUEN, was seized on December 14 while under the management of a Bulgarian company. Onboard were 18 seafarers of Bulgarian, Angolan, and Myanmar nationalities. The exact circumstances surrounding the hijacking remain unclear.

Transport Malta released a statement indicating that the RUEN's trajectory initially took it towards the northeastern coast of Somalia before altering its course southwards towards Eyl. Ongoing monitoring efforts by military assets deployed from EU Operation Atalanta and the Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region have been closely tracking the vessel's movements.

As of the latest update, the ship is reported to be anchored at 2.5 nautical miles off the coast at Baqbaq, Somalia.