Mogadishu (HRNW)- Pirates in Somalia seized a Maltese oil tanker en route from India to South Africa after an attack, but the ship’s manager said that 24 crew members were safe.
According to a foreign news agency report, Letsko Marine, the Greek manager of the Hellas Aphrodite, said that the ship was en route from India to South Africa and the incident occurred on Thursday morning, but did not provide further details.
He said that all 24 crew members of the ship are safe and we are in close contact with them, an emergency team has been mobilized to help and contacts have been made with the authorities to ensure the safety and assistance of the crew.
The European Union Naval Force said that one of its ships was near the scene and was approaching, but they are taking action after the incident.
Earlier, the maritime security company Embry said that the pirates had opened fire on the ship, and sources said that the pirates had also attacked with rocket grenades.
The security company Diaplos said that the crew of the ship took refuge in the fort or went to a safe room inside the ship and remained there, while the European Union naval force in the region has been called for help.
There has been an increase in attacks on ships by armed pirates in the region and these incidents have also increased concerns about the movement of ships, while the same route is used to deliver vital petroleum products to the global market.
According to the report, such an incident occurred in May 2024 when pirates seized the Liberian ship Basilique about 380 miles from Mogadishu, but the European Union naval force rescued 17 crew members.
The security company said pirates also seized an Iranian fishing boat this week for use in the attack.
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