Stolt-Sagaland

On Nov 2, 2025, the 'Stolt Sagaland' came under fire from armed pirates off the coast of Somalia, while transiting about 332 nautical miles southeast of Mogadishu, within the Somali exclusive economic zone. The chemical tanker was approached by a skiff with a grey and white hull, which had been launched from a suspected mothership at around 04.45 a.m. LT. Four armed men on board the skiff opened fire as they approached the tanker from the starboard side. The crew raised the alarm, increased speed and carried out evasive manoeuvres, while the armed security team on board returned fire. The attackers came within 0.05 nautical miles before retreating to their mothership after the warning shots were fired. No injuries or damage were reported, and the vessel continued its voyage from Al Jubail. The EU NAVFOR Atalanta operation has since raised its threat level in the region, assessing that an active Pirate Action Group (PAG) may be operating off Somalia. The group was believed to be linked to the Iranian dhow 'issamohamadi', which was hijacked on Oct 28 near Garacad and is not transmitting AIS signals. Unusual dhow movements had been reported in the area before the attack. Ambrey warned of the realistic possibility of further suspicious approaches The Maritime authorities have advised vessels to avoid a 100-nautical-mile radius from the attack location. The attack was part of a broader resurgence of Somali piracy that started in November 2023 with a series of hijackings of dhows, that pirates typically use as mother ships to launch attacks hundreds of miles offshore in the Indian Ocean. The authorities continued to investigate the incident and have advised vessels to transit the area with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO.