In a concerning development, a tanker reported an encounter with a suspected pirate group approximately 500 nautical miles east of Mogadishu, Somalia. This incident marks the fifth confirmed piracy attempt in just over a week. Authorities believe that piracy operations have expanded their reach, utilizing hijacked dhows as motherships. The tanker, traveling south in the Indian Ocean, managed to evade boarding after spotting a suspicious wooden vessel and a skiff that approached within 400 meters.
As the tanker heightened its speed and executed evasive maneuvers, its security team displayed their weapons, prompting the skiff to retreat back to the mothership. Meanwhile, EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta is actively monitoring two commercial vessels that were hijacked last week and taken toward the Somali coast. The operation is collaborating with local authorities while deploying assets near the hijacked ships.
In related incidents, the tanker Honour 25 was boarded on April 21, with reports indicating that the hijackers are still aboard the vessel, which is believed to be carrying gasoline. Additionally, the cargo ship Sward was confirmed pirated on April 26 while en route from the Suez Canal to Mombasa, Kenya, carrying cement.
On April 23, two small boats approached another cargo ship leaving Mogadishu, prompting the security team to fire warning shots. While the situation remains under control, Atalanta warns vessels operating within 150 nautical miles of the Somali coast to exercise increased vigilance due to the heightened piracy threat.
Share it now
