Malta-flagged tanker MV Hellas Aphrodite boarded off Somalia

A Malta-flagged tanker was boarded by attackers firing machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades off the coast of Somalia on Thursday, officials said, marking a new high-profile incident in a recent resurgence of piracy in the region. The vessel, identified by maritime security firms and officials as the MV Hellas Aphrodite, was en route from Sikka, India, to Durban, South Africa, when small craft approached and fighters boarded the ship, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said.

UKMTO reported that "the Master of a vessel has reported being approached by one small craft on its stern. The small craft fired small arms and RPGs towards the vessel." The agency warned vessels in the area to exercise caution and to report suspicious activity. Coordinates given by authorities placed the incident hundreds of nautical miles off Somalia's coast. International security firms said the tanker’s 24 crew members secured themselves in the ship’s citadel and were being maintained under communication by the vessel’s operators.

Latsco Marine Management, the ship’s operators, said they were in close contact with the crew, had activated an emergency response team, and were coordinating with...