In a concerning escalation of piracy, armed Somali pirates have seized a Greek-owned tanker in the waters off the coast of Somalia. The vessel, Hellas Aphrodite, is registered under the Maltese flag and was attacked approximately 549 nautical miles southeast of Hobyo, Somalia, early today.

According to maritime security experts from Vanguard Tech and Ambrey, the attack took place well outside the usual high-risk zones. The 50,000 DWT tanker, which was traveling from the Indian port of Sikka to Durban, South Africa, came under gunfire from pirates aboard a small boat launched from a larger vessel. The suspected mother ship, identified as the Issamohahmdi, is reportedly flagged by Iran and has been linked to several recent piracy incidents off Somalia’s coast.

The Attack and Immediate Aftermath

As reports state, at approximately 06:44 UTC, the Hellas Aphrodite was observed changing its course and speed, signaling the onset of the attack. The ship, which did not have armed security personnel on board, was intercepted by the pirates, who opened fire before boarding the tanker. A nearby tanker vessel, noticing the attack, immediately distanced itself from the area.

The Hellas Aphrodite, carrying a cargo of gasoline, was en route from India to South Africa when the “security incident” occurred in the Gulf of Aden, according to the vessel’s Greek manager, Latsco Marine Management.

“All 24 crew are safe and accounted for and we remain in close contact with them,” Latsco said in a statement as reported in Reuters. “Our emergency response team has been activated, and we are coordinating with authorities to ensure the continued safety and welfare of the crew.”

The Issamohahmdi, the suspected mother ship involved in the hijacking, had previously been reported as captured in the past few weeks. The ship has been connected to three other piracy incidents off the coast of Somalia in recent weeks. Its Automatic Identification System (AIS) was last detected about 560 nautical miles from the Somali coastline.

Rising Piracy Threat

This incident follows closely on the heels of another pirate attack that took place just three days earlier. The Stolt Sagaland, a chemical tanker flagged by the Cayman Islands, was attacked approximately 332 nautical miles southeast of Mogadishu. In that case, four armed pirates opened fire but were repelled by the ship’s security team.

Private security firms have urged commercial vessels to remain on high alert and to adhere strictly to the BMP5 (Best Management Practices) guidelines. Experts have warned of a “realistic possibility” of further attacks in the coming days, emphasizing the need for vigilance and robust security measures for vessels operating in the region.

The last comparable incident occurred in May 2024, when suspected pirates boarded the Liberian-flagged Basilisk about 380 nautical miles east of Mogadishu. EU forces later rescued all 17 crew members after rappelling onto the ship by helicopter.

In December 2023, Indian naval forces freed the crew of the Maltese-flagged Ruen, who were held hostage off Somalia’s coast, marking the last confirmed hijacking before this year’s escalation.

EU Deploys Warship Amid Rising Piracy Threat

As reported in Reuters, in response to the recent spate of piracy incidents, the European Union’s counter-piracy force has deployed a warship to the Somali coast. This decision follows a suspected pirate attack off Mogadishu, where armed assailants attempted to board a commercial tanker. This marks the first suspected Somali piracy attack of its kind since 2024.

In addition to the tanker hijacking, a Seychelles-flagged fishing vessel was approached by a speedboat earlier this week, while another Iranian fishing boat was reportedly seized by unknown assailants. These incidents have raised alarms over the safety of critical global shipping routes, which transport energy and goods vital to the international market.

The EU’s Operation ATALANTA, tasked with combating piracy off the Horn of Africa, confirmed its awareness of the situation and announced that a naval asset would be deployed to the region. The rise in piracy activity is likely tied to Somali pirate action groups operating more than 300 nautical miles offshore, according to maritime security experts.

A resurgence after years of calm

Somali piracy had sharply declined in recent years due to coordinated international patrols, but analysts warn that economic hardship, weak governance, and regional instability are driving a resurgence.

Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi militia, which controls territory along the Red Sea, has also posed risks to maritime security since launching attacks on commercial vessels in late 2023 amid the war in Gaza. Although the group recently agreed to a limited truce on U.S.-linked targets, many shipping companies remain reluctant to resume operations in the area.