Shots Fired Toward Tanker in Renewed Somali Piracy Activity
A product tanker operated by Stolt Tankers sailing near the coast of Somalia is reporting shots fired and a possible boarding attempt. It is the latest in a series of suspicious activities being reported in the past few days, increasing fears of renewed piracy in the region.
Several security consultancies reported the incident, which was later confirmed by Stolt as well as the UK and EU forces in the region. The tanker Stolt Sagaland (44,000 dwt) was underway from Saudi Arabia to Africa when it was approached on Monday, November 3, while approximately 330 nautical miles southeast of Mogadishu, Somalia. The vessel, registered in the Cayman Islands and built in 2008, is 182 meters (599.5 feet) in length.
The reports from the captain said that they spotted four individuals approaching in a small boat that they believed was attempting to board the tanker. The tanker increased speed and began evasive maneuvers, with reports of several shots fired from AK-47 type weapons. The private security force on the tanker returned fire, and the small boat withdrew.
Stolt reports the crew was uninjured. The vessel was proceeding.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre issued a report last week of suspicious activity off the coast of Somalia and warned to take precautions.
Last week, two dhows were reportedly approached, with one hijacked, possibly during an armed robbery or to act as a mother ship. The dhow flagged in Iran was reported to have a crew of 19 aboard.
EUNAVFOR Atalanta issued a warning today, November 3, of three possible incidents in the past 24 hours, all taking place in the same area off Mogadishu. On November 2, a 3,500-dwt commercial fishing boat registered in the Seychelles reported that a high-speed skiff approached from the stern. They identified a nearby mothership and issued a “warning burst” as the boat approached. The skiff returned to the mother ship.
About four hours later, a Norwegian-flagged bulker, Spar Apus (63,271 dwt), reported a boat had approached them, making about 15 knots. The bulker, which is sailing from Qatar to Brazil, reported that the boat had no ID signal and did not respond to calls. The bulker increased speed and changed course, and the small boat was lost.
The third incident this morning, November 3, came about eight hours later. The first incident was about 360 nautical miles offshore, the second 446 nautical miles offshore, and the third about 33 nautical miles from shore.
The activity was consistent with the Somali pirates, and the authorities are warning that the group is likely still active from a mothership. While there have been incidents with smaller fishing boats, there has not been an assault against a large commercial vessel since May 2024. The Somali pirates had mostly stopped attacks on commercial shipping in recent years, but resumed after the Houthis in Yemen also launched their attacks on commercial shipping in 2023.