EU deploys warship to track suspected pirate mothership off Somalia
The deployment follows an attack early Monday on the Stolt Sagaland, a chemical tanker operated by Stolt Nielsen, near Mogadishu.
The European Union’s anti-piracy mission has deployed a warship to locate an Iranian-flagged fishing dhow suspected of serving as a 'mothership' for attacks off the coast of Somalia.
The deployment follows an attack early Monday on the Stolt Sagaland, a chemical tanker operated by Stolt Nielsen, near Mogadishu.
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Four armed men aboard a small craft attempted to board the vessel and later opened fire, marking what appears to be the first suspected Somali piracy incident of its kind since 2024.
Operation Atalanta identified the suspected mothership, likely named Issamohamadi2, as having supported the attackers.
The crew of Stolt Sagaland retreated to the citadel (safe room), while the ship’s armed security team returned fire, forcing the gunmen to retreat to the mothership. No injuries were reported, and the tanker continued its voyage, according to the company.
Security firm Vanguard reported that the mothership briefly transmitted its location early Wednesday after moving further from the Somali coast.
The incident, along with others in recent days, has reignited concerns over a key maritime corridor that carries vital energy supplies and goods to global markets.
In separate cases this week, a Seychelles-flagged fishing vessel was approached by a speedboat, and a different Iranian fishing boat was seized by unidentified attackers, according to maritime security sources.
Vanguard assessed that a fishing vessel had likely been commandeered and repurposed as a mothership to launch attacks.
The EU’s Operation Atalanta confirmed awareness of the situation and said a warship had been dispatched to the area, though further details were withheld for security reasons.
Maritime security company Ambrey reported that 12 suspected pirates attempted to hire three skiffs in Bari, northern Puntland.
The firm believes a Somali Pirate Action Group is currently active at sea, operating more than 300 nautical miles off the Somali coast. It added that the commercial vessels approached match the typical targets and tactics associated with Somali piracy.
Pirate gangs in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean have remained largely dormant in recent years.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis have posed a greater threat to Red Sea shipping since November 2023, when they began targeting commercial vessels in support of Palestinians during the war in Gaza.
Although the Houthis have agreed to pause attacks on ships linked to the United States, many shipping companies remain wary of navigating those waters.
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