Armed pirates have boarded the Malta-flagged products tanker Hellas Aphrodite in the Indian Ocean, far from Somalia’s coastline, in an attack confirmed by maritime security sources.
According to Vanguard Tech and Ambrey, the 50,000 dwt vessel was attacked early today, approximately 549 nautical miles east-southeast of Hobyo, Somalia, well beyond the usual high-risk area. The tanker, operated by Greek company Latsco Marine Management, was sailing from Sikka, India, to Durban, South Africa, carrying gasoline cargo when it came under fire from a skiff launched from a suspected Iranian-flagged mothership, identified as the Issamohahmdi.
Reports indicate that the assailants fired small arms and rocket-propelled grenades toward the vessel before boarding. The incident occurred around 11:48 local time (08:48 GMT). All 24 crew members were confirmed safe and secured themselves in the ship’s citadel, according to Latsco and maritime security firm Diaplous.
The Hellas Aphrodite, which was not carrying an armed security team, altered course and speed at 06:44 UTC, about 546 nautical miles offshore. A nearby tanker subsequently changed course to avoid the area.
The Issamohahmdi, an Iranian dhow reportedly hijacked in recent weeks, has been linked to three earlier incidents off the Somali coast. Its last AIS transmission was recorded about 560 nautical miles from shore.
This latest incident occurred three days after the Stolt Sagaland, a Cayman Islands-flagged chemical tanker operated by Stolt Tankers, came under attack 332 nautical miles southeast of Mogadishu. In that case, four armed men in a skiff opened fire before being repelled by the vessel’s onboard security team.
The EU Naval Force (Operation Atalanta) has increased the regional threat level, warning that a pirate action group believed to be operating from the hijacked dhow remains active in the central Indian Ocean. Private maritime security providers have advised all vessels transiting the area to maintain heightened alertness and follow BMP5 protection measures, citing a “realistic possibility of further suspicious approaches” in the coming days.
The boarding of the Hellas Aphrodite underscores the renewed activity of Somali piracy, with attacks now reported hundreds of miles offshore after several years of relative calm in the region.
