Armed attackers wielding machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades have hijacked a Malta-flagged oil tanker, Hellas Aphrodite, off the coast of Somalia, marking the first successful commercial ship capture by Somali pirates in more than a year.
The tanker, carrying gasoline from Sikka, India, to Durban, South Africa, was attacked on Thursday morning by gunmen who boarded the vessel amid a surge of pirate activity in the region. The ship’s 24-member crew locked themselves inside the citadel and are reported to be safe and accounted for, according to the ship’s owner, Latsco Marine Management.
“This is an unprecedented series of events targeting merchant vessels since the hijacking of the MV Basilisk in May 2024,” the Maritime Information Cooperation and Awareness Centre warned, noting a sharp rise in pirate movements near Somali waters.
Security firm Ambrey confirmed that the assailants used heavy weapons, including RPGs, and likely belong to a Somali pirate network operating from an Iranian fishing vessel recently seized and repurposed as a mother ship.
Piracy off Somalia had largely subsided after 2011 when coordinated international naval patrols curbed over 200 annual attacks. However, maritime analysts say instability in the Red Sea—driven by Houthi rebel assaults amid the Gaza conflict has allowed pirates to regroup and expand their reach.
The latest attack underscores a renewed threat to global shipping lanes and energy supply routes in the Horn of Africa, with experts warning that piracy could again surge if coordinated counter-piracy efforts are not reinforced.
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