‘Pirates’ firing machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades have boarded a tanker off the coast of Somalia on Thursday, according to reports.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency has issued an alert to warn ships in the area over the attack which it located southeast of Eyl, Somalia.
“The Master of a vessel has reported being approached by one small craft on its stern. The small craft fired small arms and RPGs [rocket-propelled grenades] towards the vessel,” UKMTO said in a statement.
“Unauthorised personnel of the small craft have boarded the vessel.”
Maritime security firm Ambrey also reported that an attack was under way, saying a Malta-flagged tanker had reportedly been boarded by pirates off the coast of Somalia.
Details of the attacked vessel correspond to the Hellas Aphrodite, which changed its track and slowed down at the time of the attack.
The ship’s owners and managers could not immediately be reached for comment.
The vessel was en route from Sikka, India, to Durban, South Africa, Ambrey said.
“The pirates were reported to have approached on a skiff and opened fire on the tanker,” Ambrey said in statement, adding that the pirates were operating from a hijacked Iranian-flagged dhow.
Another maritime security firm, the Diaplous Group, said the attacked tanker had a crew of 24 mariners, all of whom reportedly locked themselves into the ship’s citadel for safety during the attack.
The vessel did not have an armed security team aboard it, the firm added.
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