According to UKMTO, a ship reported that it came under fire during a failed pirate boarding attempt in the western Indian Ocean on 3 November, around 332 nautical miles east of Mogadishu. The ship attempted to be hijacked was identified by the maritime security company Vanguard as the chemical tanker Stolt Sagaland (44,044 DWT) buildt in 2008.
Four armed individuals approached the tanker in a small craft launched from a suspected mother vessel and attempted to board. The tanker’s armed security team returned fire, forcing the pirates to withdraw.
All crew members on the Stolt Sagaland are safe, and the vessel has continued its voyage.
According to ShipAtlas, Stolt Sagaland was on its way from Al Jubail in Saudi Arabia to Durban in South Africa when the hijacking was attempted.
EU Naval Force Operation Atalanta raised threat levels in the region and deployed aerial assets to monitor the area, warning that a Pirate Action Group is active and may be linked to recent dhow-based hijackings in the western Indian Ocean.
Vessels transiting the region are advised to comply with BMP5 guidance, maintain communications with UKMTO, and ensure security measures are in place.
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