Somali pirates have abandoned the hijacked Emirati dhow, Fahad-4, which was taken in late April while transporting a cargo of lemons from Mogadishu, Somalia. The pirates, numbering 11, attempted to use the dhow as a mothership to launch attacks on other vessels but were forced to abandon it on May 4 due to dwindling supplies and increased maritime security measures. The Joint Maritime Information Centre, which monitors piracy in the region, raised the threat level to 'severe' following a series of hijackings. The dhow was attacked approximately 10 nautical miles off the coast of Dhinowda in northeastern Somalia. Despite the abandonment of Fahad-4, other vessels, such as the Bajan-flagged Honour 25 tanker and the Syrian-flagged M/V Sward, remain under pirate control. The pirates had also been involved in an aborted attack on the Maltese tanker, M/V Minerva Pisces, on April 28, which was thwarted by a security team.