Armed Pirates Open Fire & Attempt To Board Tanker Off Mogadishu

Armed Pirates targeted a commercial tanker off Mogadishu, sparking fears about the resurgence of maritime piracy in Somali waters.

The armed assailants fired at the ship after trying to board it, in the first Somali Piracy incident of this kind since 2024, per sources.

The Cayman Islands-flagged chemical tanker Stolt Sagaland was sailing 332 nm off the Somali coast when it was approached by 4 men in a skiff from the starboard side who opened fire.

The crew members raised the alarm and increased the speed of the tanker. The security team on board the vessel responded swiftly and deterred the attack. Fortunately, nobody was injured, and no damage has been reported.

The tanker is continuing its journey to the next port of call, per United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations or UKMTO.

Africa Risk Compliance reported that there had been a ‘possible sighting’ of a pirate group off Garacad, in Somalia’s Puntland region.

According to sources, motherships and small skiffs have also been seen in the waters in recent weeks.

The European Union’s naval mission is looking into the incident and mentioned that it had received an alert a few days back about the presence of a pirate group in the area.

Ships needed to transit the region have been advised to exercise caution and maintain vigilance.

This incident also comes amidst rising concerns that improved weather conditions could see a return of pirate operations in the western Indian Ocean.