Piracy surges off Somalia: LNG carrier targeted in near-miss incident

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on 7 November that the master of a vessel reported it was approached by a small craft carrying three people, approximately 528 nautical miles southeast of Eyl, Somalia.

Greece-based maritime security firm Diaplous identified the vessel as a Marshall Islands-flagged LNG carrier and described the assailants as a “possible Pirate Action Group (PAG) skiff.”

Both sources noted that the vessel outmaneuvered the small craft, which subsequently returned to a suspected mothership, reportedly identified by the vessel’s master as Issa Mohhamdi.

“The area is associated with an elevated risk of organised PAG activity,” Diaplous stated, adding that there were no confirmed reports of weapons, boarding attempts, injuries, or damage at this time.

According to UKMTO, the incident occurred roughly 120 nautical miles north of a previous attack on Latsco Shipping’s Hellas Aphrodite, during which the crew retreated to the citadel after pirates managed to board the tanker.

The Greek owner announced on 6 November that all 24 crew members of the 2016-built vessel were safe and accounted for, and the company remains in close contact with the ship.

Meanwhile, EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta reported one of its assets is en route to the latest incident site and stands ready to respond appropriately to the piracy alert.

Series of incidents

Operation Atalanta has recorded several piracy-related incidents off Somalia since 2 November, including the attack on Hellas Aphrodite.

On 2 November, fishing vessel Intertuna Tres reported being approached by a high-speed skiff. Security personnel on board fired two warning shots, prompting the skiff to retreat toward its suspected mothership.

Later that same day, bulk carrier Spar Apus reported that a boat with no AIS transmission and unresponsive to VHF calls approached its position. Spar Apus altered course and increased speed, distancing itself from the suspicious craft. Operation Atalanta noted that, in this incident, there were no signs of PAG activity.

On 3 November, chemical and oil products tanker Stolt Sagaland reported an attempted boarding by four unauthorised individuals from a small craft. After an exchange of gunfire, the attackers withdrew toward a mothership approximately five nautical miles away.