Fears over resurgence of Somali pirates after tanker attacked with rocket-propelled grenades
Urgent warning issued to all ships as Somali pirates target vessel
- Somali pirates attacked a Malta-flagged tanker, identified as the Hellas Aphrodite, off the coast of Somalia on Thursday, using machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
- The British military's UK Maritime Trade Operations centre issued an alert over the attack, warning ships in the area.
- The 24-member crew of the attacked tanker, which was travelling from India to South Africa, reportedly secured themselves in the ship's citadel, as the vessel did not have an armed security team aboard.
- This incident marks a significant resurgence in Somali pirate activity, which had previously peaked in 2011 but diminished due to international efforts.
- The increase in piracy is partly attributed to regional insecurity caused by Yemen's Houthi rebels' attacks in the Red Sea corridor amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.