Across the Gulf of Guinea, a tanker operated by the Danish company Monjasa was hijacked, leaving 16 crew members on board. Reports from Reuters, citing a company representative, confirmed the incident and the disruption of all communications with the vessel.
According to the briefing, pirates boarded the ship and cut off contact with external parties. The crew managed to shelter in a designated safe area on board during the attack.
The vessel was attacked on a Saturday, roughly 140 miles west of Port Pointe-Noire in the Republic of the Congo. The tanker is managed by Montec Ship Management, a Dubai-based firm owned by Monjasa, and it was transporting oil and chemicals at the time of the assault.
Spokespersons from Montec indicated that the incident reached the attention of a naval cooperation center that is jointly run by British and French forces, highlighting the ongoing international naval effort to deter piracy in the region.
Officials noted that the United States has been conducting exercises to counter piracy in collaboration with maritime authorities from West African states, underscoring the broader strategic focus on safeguarding commercial shipping lanes in this part of the Atlantic Ocean.