LAGOS, Nigeria — Pirates off the coasts of Somalia have hijacked a commercial vessel for the first time in 18 months, raising fears of a resurgence of armed attacks along the coasts of Somalia.

This week, the pirates have launched multiple attacks against vessels before successfully boarding the Malta-flagged Hellas Aphrodite, which was en route to India from South Africa and ferrying gasoline, according to the ship’s owner, Latsco Marine Management Inc. EU Naval reached the ship on Friday and found all crew members safe.

The last time the pirates boarded a ship was in May 2024, when they hijacked the Liberian-flagged vessel Basilisk around 380 nautical miles east of Mogadishu. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said there was another close incident in the area on Friday

See Full Page