East African shipping routes on edge after pirates attempt to hijack tanker in Somalia
Crew aboard the Stolt Sagaland repelled four armed attackers off the Somali coast, the first suspected piracy incident in the region since 2024.
Four armed assailants attempted to board a commercial tanker off the coast of Somalia on Monday, marking the first suspected piracy attempt in the region since 2024.
The last recorded incident occurred in March 2024, when Somali pirates hijacked the Bangladesh-flagged bulk carrier MV Abdullah, which was carrying cargo from Mozambique to the United Arab Emirates. The vessel was seized about 600 nautical miles (1,112 kilometres) off Mogadishu, and its 23 crew members were released in April 2024 after a reported $5 million (Sh645.8 million) ransom was paid.
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According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), in Monday’s incident, the attackers approached the chemical tanker Stolt Sagaland in a small craft launched from a larger ship nearby.
However, the tanker’s crew challenged the assailants, prompting them to retreat to their mothership. Warning shots were reportedly fired as the small craft withdrew toward the larger vessel.
“UKMTO has received a report of an incident 332NM (616 Kms) east of Mogadishu, Somalia. The Master reports that 4 unauthorised persons attempted to board his vessel. The small craft came from a mothership approximately 5NM (9.3 Kms) to the east of his vessel,” the maritime agency said in a statement seen by The Eastleigh Voice.
“The small craft returned to the mother vessel after it was challenged by the vessel. The Master reports the small craft with a grey and white hull headed towards mothership 5NM to the east when warning shots were fired.”
UKMTO confirmed that no fatalities or injuries occurred during the incident.
“All crew are reported safe and transiting to the next port of call. Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO,” it added.
In a separate statement, the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) said it had launched investigations into the attempted attack and urged vessels to remain alert and adhere to maritime security measures when navigating the Western Indian Ocean and Somali waters.
“While these waters are routinely patrolled by EUNAVFOR and other warships, the timely and comprehensive reporting of incidents and suspicious activity remains crucial to allow for a rapid incident response,” EUNAVFOR ATLANTA said.
“We request that, where possible, and without endangering the vessel or crew, vessels obtain and report as much factual detail as possible of incidents and suspicious activity, to include logs, photographs, video, and radar footage.”
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