AT A GLANCE

• The latest incident involved a cargo vessel reportedly taken over at around 23:00 local time on 26 April, approximately 11.11 km northeast of Garacad, Puntland, before being redirected into Somali territorial waters with 15 crew onboard.
• The Garacad seizure followed the hijacking of the oil/fuel tanker Honour 25 off Puntland, reportedly carrying 17 multinational crew members and 18,500 barrels of fuel while sailing toward Mogadishu.
• The incident sequence also includes a 23 April armed approach southeast of Eyl, during which two boats approached a cargo vessel and shots were fired, and the 21 April hijacking of the Somali-flagged fishing vessel ALKHAYR 2 near Hafun.
• For maritime insurers, owners, charterers and P&I stakeholders, the cluster raises exposure across hull risk, crew detention, ransom-related liabilities, deviation costs, delay claims, contractual disputes, and the adequacy of voyage-specific security measures.

• On 25 April, JNIM-FLA launched a broad coordinated attack cycle targeting military and aviation-linked sites, including Kati, Modibo Keïta International Airport in Bamako, Mopti/Sevaré Airport, Gao airport/army camp, and Kidal.
• Kati was a key escalation point, with reporting indicating at least 23 people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed. The Defence Minister was also killed in the attack in Kati.
• FAMa responded with airstrikes before and after the offensive, including reported strikes in Koulikoro and Mopti regions and a 26 April strike near Kolokani targeting a motorcycle column allegedly moving westward.
• Territorial pressure intensified after clashes in Kidal on 26 April and reported Malian-Russian withdrawals from Kidal on 27–28 April, while JNIM also claimed Malian forces withdrew from Tessit in Gao region.
• Travel risk is high, with the US Embassy warning on 28 April of possible terrorist movements in Bamako and advising shelter-in-place measures, while the UK advised against all travel to Mali and urged departure by commercial flight where possible.