EU NAVFOR Atalanta Investigates Possible Armed Boarding of Product Tanker 24 NM Off Xaafuun (Hafun), Northern Somalia

EU NAVFOR Operation Atalanta is investigating a possible armed boarding incident involving a product tanker approximately 24 nautical miles southeast of Xaafuun (Hafun), the tip of the Horn of Africa in northeastern Somalia. The incident was first reported by maritime security consultants Diaplous Group on April 21, 2026; Atalanta had not yet issued an official notice as of April 22. If confirmed, the incident would represent a continued resurgence of Somali piracy in the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean, following a pattern of coordinated attacks that began in late October 2025. The Xaafuun area — near the Ras Asir (Cape Guardafui) headland — is significant as it guards the eastern approach to the Gulf of Aden. A product tanker in this location would be on the international shipping lane connecting the Suez Canal to Indian Ocean ports. CTF-151 (the multinational counter-piracy task force) and EU NAVFOR Atalanta maintain active patrols in the area. The incident follows the Combined Maritime Forces' April 15 announcement that CTF-151 and partnered navies had successfully deterred a piracy operation involving the Iranian-flagged dhow Waseemi 786 (hijacked March 19, 2026), which pirates had intended to use as a mother ship. Diaplous Group cautions the April 22 incident is still under investigation and may prove to be a false alarm.