![\"Tanker\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.marineinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Tanker-1.png?resize=1200%2C628\")
A Panama-flagged bitumen tanker was attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea late Monday night, with reports of gunfire during the incident.<\/p>\n
The vessel was boarded approximately 40 nautical miles southeast of Santo Antonio do Pr\u00edncipe, an island in S\u00e3o Tom\u00e9 and Pr\u00edncipe, off the west coast of Central Africa.<\/p>\n
The attack was first reported by the Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade \u2013 Gulf of Guinea (MDAT-GoG), a maritime security cooperation centre run by the UK and French navies.<\/p>\n
According to security sources, the ship involved was the Bitu River, a 16,500-dwt bitumen tanker built in 2022. The tanker is operated by Rubis Asphalt and managed by Maritec Tanker Management in India.<\/p>\n
The vessel, which had departed from Lome, Togo, was en route to Douala, Cameroon when the attack took place.<\/p>\n
Per reports, three armed individuals boarded the tanker. The ship\u2019s speed was observed to decrease from 9 knots to just 0.6 knots within 20 minutes, which suggested a forced boarding.<\/p>\n
Gunfire was reported, but no injuries have been confirmed so far. The crew members took refuge in the ship\u2019s citadel, a secure area designed to protect them during pirate attacks.<\/p>\n
The ship\u2019s onshore security officer temporarily lost contact with the captain. Later, MDAT-GoG confirmed that the attackers had left the vessel, which then changed course toward Libreville, Gabon, for safety.<\/p>\n
Per reports, as many as 10 crew members may have been kidnapped, though this remains unverified. Africa Risk Compliance warned that the pirates may still be operating in the area.<\/p>\n
The Gulf of Guinea has been experiencing a rise in pirate activity, with several attacks reported in the past few months.<\/p>\n
Martin Kelly, Head of Advisory at EOS Risk Group, recently stated that the region has become the \u201cnew stomping ground for pirates in West Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since January 2024, at least six vessels have been boarded, leading to the kidnapping of 14 crew members in three separate attacks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n