In a dramatic escalation that has alarmed the global shipping industry, armed pirates boarded the Malta-flagged tanker Hellas Aphrodite off the coast of Somalia in the early hours of November 6, 2025. The attack, which involved gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades, marks the first successful pirate boarding of a commercial vessel in the Horn of Africa region in over a year, reigniting fears of a resurgence in Somali piracy that once crippled maritime trade in these waters.
According to reports from the British United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center, the Hellas Aphrodite was approached by a small craft on its stern as it traveled through the Indian Ocean, approximately 560 nautical miles southeast of Eyl, Somalia. "The small craft fired small arms and RPGs towards the vessel. Unauthorized personnel of the small craft have boarded the vessel," UKMTO stated in an official alert, urging other ships in the area to transit with caution.
The Hellas Aphrodite, a 50,000 dwt oil and chemical tanker built in 2016, was en route from Sikka, India, to Durban, South Africa, carrying a cargo of gasoline. Greek shipping company Latsco Marine Management, which owns and operates the vessel, confirmed the incident and said, "All 24 crew are safe and accounted for and we remain in close contact with them." The crew had quickly locked themselves in the ship’s fortified citadel—a secure safe room designed to withstand attacks—where they remained during the ordeal. The company added that it had "activated its emergency response team and is coordinating with the relevant authorities to ensure the continued safety and welfare of the crew."
Private security firm Diaplous and Ambrey both corroborated that the crew’s swift action likely saved lives, as the ship did not have an armed security team onboard at the time of the attack. Ambrey further reported that the pirates were operating from a hijacked Iranian fishing boat, the Issamohamadi, which has been linked to at least three prior incidents off the Somali coast in recent weeks. Iran, for its part, has not acknowledged the seizure of the vessel.
The European Union’s Operation Atalanta, a naval force tasked with combating piracy around the Horn of Africa, was near the attack site and responded quickly. In a statement, the EU force said it had an “asset” nearby and was "closing distance, ready to take the appropriate actions to respond effectively to this piracy alert." Operation Atalanta had recently raised the regional threat level, warning that a pirate action group was active in the central Indian Ocean and that further assaults were "almost certain" to happen. The force had also responded to a suspected pirate attack just three days prior, on November 3, when the Cayman Islands-flagged chemical tanker Stolt Sagaland was attacked by four armed men in a skiff. In that case, the presence of an onboard security team repelled the attackers after an exchange of gunfire.
Maritime security experts say the resurgence of piracy in the region is no accident. According to France's Maritime Information Cooperation and Awareness Center, "This is an unprecedented series of events targeting merchant vessels since the hijacking of the MV Basilisk in May 2024. Pirates are agile, determined, move between areas and have real reach." The center’s warning highlights that the current wave of attacks is the most serious since the hijacking of the MV Basilisk in May 2024 and the MV Abdullah in April 2024. The last hijacking before the Hellas Aphrodite incident occurred in December 2023, when the Maltese-flagged Ruen was taken to the Somali coast before Indian naval forces freed the crew and arrested the attackers.
The waters off Somalia have long been recognized as a piracy hotspot, particularly during the 2010-2015 period when attacks peaked. In 2011 alone, there were 237 reported attacks, costing the global economy an estimated $7 billion and leading to $160 million in ransom payments, according to the Oceans Beyond Piracy monitoring group. The threat was sharply reduced in the years that followed, thanks to increased international naval patrols, a strengthened Somali government, and the widespread adoption of best management practices (BMP5) by commercial vessels.
However, the recent uptick in piracy is being attributed to a shift in international naval priorities. The ongoing conflict involving Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have launched attacks in the Red Sea corridor amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, has diverted naval resources away from the Somali coast. According to Solace Global Risk, a travel risk management company, "the decline in antipiracy patrols and the relocation of funds to counter Houthi rebel activities contributed to the rise in attacks." The International Maritime Bureau reported seven piracy incidents off Somalia in 2024 alone, with multiple fishing boats seized by Somali pirates this year.
The latest attack on the Hellas Aphrodite is especially concerning because it took place far beyond the traditional high-risk area, roughly 549 nautical miles east-southeast of Hobyo, Somalia. Maritime security specialists Vanguard Tech and Ambrey observed that the tanker altered its course and speed at 06:44 UTC during the assault, while another nearby tanker immediately diverted away from the area. This demonstrates how pirates are now capable of projecting force hundreds of miles offshore, a significant escalation from previous years.
Private security firms have responded by urging all merchant vessels transiting the region to maintain heightened vigilance and to strictly follow BMP5 protection measures. They warn of a “realistic possibility of further suspicious approaches” in the coming days, given the current activity of the pirate action group operating from the hijacked Iranian dhow.
For those who remember the height of Somali piracy, the events of November 6 bring back uneasy memories of a time when merchant shipping in the Indian Ocean was fraught with danger. The region’s strategic importance—serving as a vital artery for global trade between Asia, the Middle East, and Africa—means that any resurgence in piracy has immediate and far-reaching implications.
As the international community recalibrates its response, the safety of seafarers and the security of global trade routes once again hang in the balance. The incident involving the Hellas Aphrodite serves as a stark reminder that, despite years of progress, the threat of Somali piracy is far from extinguished—and that vigilance at sea remains as crucial as ever.
