A pirate gang operating off the coast of Somalia remains active in the Indian Ocean, having made a fourth unsuccessful attack on a commercial vessel within a single week. This resurgence of activity marks a significant return of piracy in the region, highlighted by an incident where gunmen successfully boarded a large commercial vessel for the first time since May 2024.

Recent Attack on LNG Carrier

In the latest incident reported on Friday, a laden Marshall Islands-flagged liquefied natural gas carrier, identified by vessel trackers as the Al Thumama, was approached by three individuals in a skiff. The vessel, managed by JC Nakilat and on long-term charter to QatarEnergy, managed to outrun its assailants, resulting in no boarding and no injuries. The pirates abandoned their attempt and returned to their mother ship, identified by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and Diaplous Group as the "IssaMohammadi" or "IssaMohamadi 2".

Pattern of Attacks and the Mother Ship

The same dhow, the IssaMohamadi 2, was used in three other attacks against commercial vessels in the area this week. This Iranian-flagged fishing dhow, with 19 crew members on board, was hijacked by the gang in late October specifically to serve as a mother ship for piracy assaults. The new attack on the LNG carrier indicates the gang has likely abandoned its previous attempt on the Latsco Shipping-managed oil products tanker Hellas Aphrodite.

Successful Boarding of the Hellas Aphrodite

In a significant escalation, pirates successfully boarded the Hellas Aphrodite on Thursday. The crew of 24 seafarers fled to the ship's citadel and remain hiding there, awaiting rescue from an approaching Spanish warship. This attack occurred approximately 550 nautical miles offshore Somalia. The subsequent attack on the LNG carrier took place about 190 kilometres north of this location, a distance a ship could cover in about 24 hours at a speed of five knots.

Other Recent Incidents

Other vessels targeted this week include:

• The Stolt Sagaland, where the crew thwarted a boarding after an armed security team fired on the approaching pirate skiff.
• The Intertuna Tres, a Seychelles-flagged fishing vessel, which fired warning shots against an approaching skiff on 2 November.

Escalated Threat Level and Historical Context

In reaction to this week's attacks, EUNAVFOR Atalanta, the European Union naval force in the region, raised its piracy threat assessment in some parts of the Indian Ocean off Somalia by four notches from "low" to "critical." This implies a greater than 95% chance of attack for vessels sailing in the designated area. Somali piracy, dormant since its peak between 2008 and 2012, has bounced back since 2023, a resurgence linked to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea. Since November 2023, Atalanta has registered 48 security events in the area, ranging from suspicious approaches to hijackings. Prior to the current spike, pirates had become active again in February and March of this year, carrying out armed robberies against three fishing boats.

This material is an AI-assisted summary based on publicly available sources and may contain inaccuracies. For the original and full details, please refer to the source link. Based on materials by Harry Papachristou,Yannick Guerry. All rights to the original text and images remain with their respective rights holders.