A Greek-owned tanker was attacked by Somali pirates at a great distance from the coast of Somalia, outside the classical high-risk zone. There are five Greek sailors on the vessel, with the managing company reporting that all are in good health.
The attack by Somali pirates on the Greek-owned tanker sailing off the coast of Somalia, at a distance of more than 500 nautical miles, has caused concern in the international as well as the Greek shipping community.
In an official announcement, the managing company Latsco Marine Management confirmed the incident, stating that the emergency team has been activated and is in close cooperation with the competent authorities to ensure the safety of the crew.
According to information so far, all 24 crew members are in good health.
Among the 24 sailors are five Greeks, including the First Engineer.
The timeline of the attack by the Somali pirates
Somali pirates attacked and boarded a Greek-owned product tanker, flying the Maltese flag, in the Indian Ocean.
According to maritime security companies Vanguard Tech and Ambrey, the Hellas Aphrodite was attacked early today, approximately 549 nautical miles east-southeast of Hobyo in Somalia, outside the known high-risk area.
The 50,000 dwt tanker had departed from Sikka, India and was heading towards Durban, South Africa, when it came under fire from a skiff launched from an Iranian-flagged mother ship, which has been identified as the Issamohahmdi.
The pirates opened fire during the approach before closing in and boarding. The vessel, which did not have an armed security team on board, was detected changing course and speed around 06:44 UTC, approximately 546 nautical miles off Somalia. Another passing tanker was diverted from the area as a precautionary measure.
The Issamohahmdi is reported to have fallen victim to piracy a few weeks ago and has since been linked to three previous incidents off the coast of Somalia. Its AIS last transmitted a signal approximately 560 nautical miles from the coast.
The attack occurs a few days after the incident with the Stolt Sagaland, a chemical tanker under the Cayman Islands flag, which came under fire from four armed individuals before being repelled by the vessel’s security team.
EU NAVFOR Atalanta has raised the regional threat level, warning that the same pirate group appears to be operating from the Iranian dhow which had also been previously hijacked.
Private security companies are calling on commercial vessels to remain vigilant and strictly implement the BMP5 protective measures, warning of existing probabilities for new attacks.
The boarding of the Hellas Aphrodite constitutes a worrying escalation in the activity of Somali pirates, with attacks now occurring hundreds of miles from the coast, in waters that had remained largely calm for the last five years.
Concern among sailors is intense, at a time when the situation is already particularly dangerous in the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Aden.
