--- title: Somali Basin piracy surges offshore description: Somali Basin piracy has resurged with a confirmed tanker boarding and multiple offshore approaches in early November. PAGs using hijacked dhows as motherships are operating far from the coast with RPGs and automatic weapons. See the key incident timeline—and how Dryad’s Secure Voyager Hub gives bridge and shore teams a shared, live risk picture. --- [Maritime Risk Intelligence Blog ](https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/archive) # [Somali Basin piracy surges offshore](https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/archive/somali-basin-piracy-surges-offshore) Written by [Dryad Global](https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/archive/author/dryad-global) | November 6, 2025 at 9:01 PM Piracy activity off Somalia has flared sharply since late October. Coordinated Pirate Action Groups (PAGs) are using hijacked dhows as motherships to push attacks far offshore with RPGs and automatic weapons. In the most serious case, the **HELLAS APHRODITE** was **boarded on 06 Nov 2025** approximately **560 nm SE of Eyl** after pirates in a skiff opened fire. Crew entered the citadel; EU NAVFOR Atalanta assets, including **ESPS Victoria**, are responding. Within the same week we assessed an **attempted boarding of STOLT SAGALAND (03 Nov)** and aggressive approaches against **SPAR APUS** and **INTERTUNA TRES (02 Nov)**. With naval focus stretched by Red Sea tasking, the risk envelope across the offshore Somali Basin has expanded. > If your fleet routes the Somali Basin, Arabian Sea, or ESE of Somalia, you need a **live operational picture** that distinguishes signal from noise.   ## **What happened (highlights)** - **06 Nov 2025, 0850 UTC** – **HELLAS APHRODITE (IMO 9722766)**: Fired upon with machine guns and RPGs and **boarded ~560 nm SE of Eyl** while en route Sikka–Durban. **24 crew in the citadel**; no armed security embarked. EU NAVFOR assets responding. - **03 Nov 2025, 0145 UTC** – **STOLT SAGALAND (IMO 9352200)**: **Attempted boarding 332 nm ESE of Mogadishu** by four armed pirates in a grey/white skiff linked to a mothership ~5 nm away. Repelled by evasive manoeuvres, speed, and return fire from embarked security; no injuries. - **02 Nov 2025, 1700 UTC** – **SPAR APUS (IMO 9734989)**: **High-speed approach 446 nm SE of Mogadishu** by AIS-dark vessel at ~15 kts; deterred through course alteration (170°) and acceleration (~30 kts). - **02 Nov 2025, 1300 UTC** – **INTERTUNA TRES (IMO 9202704)**: **High-speed stern approach 350 nm ESE of Mogadishu** by skiff tied to AIS-identified mothership **ISSA MOHAMAD 2**; withdrew after alarm raised. - **28 Oct 2025, 1633 UTC** – **Two erratic dhows** intercepted **~106 nm south of Eyl (near Garacad)**; one seized, one escaped—early indicator of PAG mobilisation. **Context:** EU NAVFOR has raised threat levels, urging strict **BMP5** compliance, heightened vigilance, and **AIS** management. With several incidents in 2024 and multiple fishing vessel hijackings in 2025, the latest offshore activity—now commonly **>300–600 nm** from shore and reported up to **~1,000 nm**—reflects organised PAGs leveraging mothership logistics amid diverted naval tasking.   ## **Why this matters now** - **Operating range has expanded**: Attack profiles and standoff support from dhows are pushing incidents well beyond traditional coastal risk belts. - **Weaponry & tempo**: **RPGs/automatic weapons** and near-daily incident rhythm point to capable, coordinated groups. - **Decision pressure**: Masters, CSOs, and operations teams need **shared, up-to-the-minute context** to brief, route, and act quickly.   ## **Get the live picture your bridge and shore teams need**   **Secure Voyager Hub** brings Dryad’s analyst-verified incident feed, advisories, and routing context together in one workspace—designed for fast, common operating understanding across bridge, ops, and HSSEQ. **What you’ll see inside Secure Voyager Hub:** - **Live incident map & feed** with analyst notes and links to advisories - **Time filters (7/30/90 days)** to separate trend from noise - **Route overlays & risk rings** to visualise exposure before you commit - **Alerting** that’s aligned to operational relevance—not just raw signals   ### **New-client introductory offer (ends ****31 January****)**   Shipowners, operators, managers and HSSEQ teams new to Dryad can access **Secure Voyager Hub** on an introductory basis for a limited time. 👉 **Sign up now:** [https://www.dryadglobal.com/secure-voyager-hub-intro-offer](https://www.dryadglobal.com/secure-voyager-hub-intro-offer) *New clients only. Standard terms apply.* [View full post](https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/archive/somali-basin-piracy-surges-offshore) ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Dryad Global" }, "dateModified" : "2026-06-18T17:07:06.889Z", "datePublished" : "2025-11-06T21:01:06Z", "headline" : "Somali Basin piracy surges offshore", "image" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 875, "url" : "https://4795492.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/4795492/Indian%20Ocean%20Trade%20Basin-2.png", "width" : 1058 }, "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://channel16.dryadglobal.com/archive/somali-basin-piracy-surges-offshore", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 60.0, "url" : "https://4795492.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/4795492/DG%20Logo%20Featured%20Image%20Green.png", "width" : 120.0 }, "name" : "Ch16 Maritime Risk Intelligence" } } ```