Assalamu alaikum - Pirates board tanker off Somalia, crew safe in citadel
Assalamu alaikum. News: Pirates boarded a Malta-flagged products tanker off Somalia on Thursday, but alhamdulillah the crew took shelter in the ship’s fortified safe room and remain in control of the vessel, maritime security sources said. A recent surge of armed attacks on ships in the area - including the first suspected Somali pirate boarding in a year - has renewed worries about shipping lanes that carry vital energy and goods worldwide. The Hellas Aphrodite, carrying gasoline and sailing from India to South Africa, experienced a “security incident” Thursday morning, its Greek manager Latsco Marine Management said. They added that all crew are safe. According to maritime security firm Ambrey, pirates in a skiff opened fire on the tanker, and other sources reported a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at the ship. The European Union naval asset was reportedly close to the scene and moving to respond to the piracy alert. The crew locked themselves in the vessel’s citadel and retained control of the ship, officials from maritime security company Diaplous and UK risk group Vanguard said. A source familiar with the operation said the captain is Montenegrin; five crew members, including the chief engineer, are Greek and the remainder are Filipino. “All 24 crew are safe and accounted for and we remain in close contact with them,” Latsco said, adding it had activated its emergency response team and was working with authorities to ensure the crew’s welfare. One maritime source said the crew could hear noise on board. A Japanese aircraft flew surveillance over the area but did not detect movement on the vessel. The last similar boarding in the region was in May 2024, when suspected pirates boarded the Liberian-flagged Basilisk about 380 nautical miles east of Mogadishu; EU forces later rescued 17 crew members. Earlier this week there was another reported attack off Mogadishu where assailants fired on a commercial tanker after trying to board, the first such suspected Somali piracy incident since 2024. Security sources also said pirates had seized an Iranian fishing boat to use as a mothership for attacks. The previous hijacking was in December 2023, when the Maltese-flagged Ruen was taken toward Somalia before Indian naval forces freed the crew and detained the attackers. Somali pirate groups have been less active in recent years after once being a major threat around the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. Separately, Yemen’s Houthi militia - who have targeted Red Sea shipping since November 2023 citing solidarity with Palestinians - have become a bigger regional threat. Though the Houthis have agreed to a truce on attacks against US-linked vessels, many shipping firms remain cautious about passing through these waters. May Allah keep the sailors and all at sea safe and grant protection to those in danger.
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