Somali pirates have seized an Iranian fishing vessel carrying 23 people off northeastern Somalia, prompting warnings that the ship could be used as a floating base for additional attacks on commercial shipping.

The vessel, identified as the Azini, was hijacked Thursday between the coastal towns of Bandar Bayla and Hafun, according to a maritime security officer with the Puntland Maritime Police Force.

The officer told the Associated Press on Sunday that 12 pirates took control of the vessel. The Azini was carrying 21 Iranian crew members along with two Somali security guards.

The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

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The Maritime Security Center Indian Ocean said the condition of the crew remained unknown in an alert dated Saturday.

The center later issued an updated warning saying the hijacked fishing vessel could be used as a “mother ship” to support attacks farther from Somalia’s coastline.

That possibility has raised additional concern because the Azini was approaching a commercial shipping lane.

The European Union’s naval Operation Atalanta was investigating the seizure.

Maritime officials urged vessels traveling through the area to remain alert and report suspicious activity.

The hijacking comes amid a renewed wave of Somali piracy in the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean.

By August, pirates had seized six commercial vessels since April, including attacks well beyond Somalia’s immediate coastline.

Among the vessels captured was the oil products tanker Sibu 1, which was taken roughly 136 nautical miles east of al Mukalla, Yemen.

The recent attacks have revived concerns about piracy routes that had been far less active in recent years.

Another deadly case occurred in September, when Puntland authorities said pirates had killed five crew members aboard the tanker MT Honour 25.

Security forces later recovered the tanker, which had been held since April.

Authorities said 16 suspected pirates were detained in connection with that incident.

The renewed piracy is adding pressure to a region already facing major shipping disruptions tied to the Iran war.

Attacks in the Strait of Hormuz have complicated maritime traffic, while threats by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels against Saudi-linked shipping through Bab el Mandeb have created additional risks for commercial vessels.

Those conditions have forced some ships to take longer routes and have increased operating costs for tankers.

The Associated Press reported in September that some oil shipments diverted around Africa faced journeys lasting as much as a month longer than normal.

Daily spot charter rates for tankers moving through the Strait of Hormuz had also climbed to $1 million.

The return of Somali piracy now adds another source of uncertainty to maritime trade routes that are already under strain.

International naval patrols and improved security practices had sharply reduced piracy off Somalia over the past decade.

The latest string of hijackings, however, shows that pirate groups remain capable of targeting vessels in the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean.

The seizure of the Azini is especially significant because officials believe the pirates could use the fishing vessel to extend their reach.

A mother ship can allow pirates to operate farther from shore by carrying personnel, fuel and supplies while launching smaller boats toward commercial vessels.

That increases the potential threat to shipping lanes beyond waters immediately adjacent to Somalia.

For now, the status of the 21 Iranian crew members and two Somali guards aboard the Azini remains unknown.

Operation Atalanta continues to investigate, while maritime authorities are urging ships in the region to maintain heightened vigilance.

The latest hijacking adds to mounting concern that Somali piracy is once again becoming a serious threat to commercial shipping across one of the world’s most important maritime corridors.