Pirates off the coast of Somalia have launched the first successful boarding of a commercial vessel in 18 months, according to maritime authorities and shipping analysts, raising fears of a return to hijacking on a trade route that had stabilised in recent years.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre said “unauthorised personnel” had boarded a vessel to the south-east of Eyl, Somalia, firing rocket-propelled grenades at the ship. The vessel is a Malta-flagged tanker en route to South Africa from India, according to Ambrey Intelligence, a maritime security company.
The attack follows two boarding attempts in the region earlier this week, including an armed assault on a commercial ship off the coast of Mogadishu. Reports of Somali pirate attacks had fallen in recent years after the establishment of international naval patrols along the coast.