France, May 2 -- In the past 10 days, pirates have hijacked at least three boats off the coast of Somalia. The Honour 25 oil tanker was seized on 21 April, followed by a dhow on 25 April and the Sward, a merchant vessel, on 26 April.

According to the Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO), the European Union Naval Force's tracking service, the three incidents were ongoing as of 29 April.

MSCIO has issued a warning to vessels in the area to "maintain a heightened level of vigilance", particularly within 150 nautical miles of the Somali coast between Mogadishu and Hafun on the Indian Ocean. Security vacuum

Piracy off the coast of Somalia, concentrated near the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, shot up between 2008 and 2013, befo...