An armed attack on a Singapore-flagged oil tanker near Indonesia has left a sailor stabbed multiple

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A crew member has been hospitalized after being stabbed multiple times in an attack by armed men on a Singapore-flagged oil tanker near Indonesia.

According to maritime intelligence firm Ambrey Analytics, an unnamed tanker was 4.3 nautical miles northwest of Kapalajernih Island in the Singapore Strait on Tuesday evening while on the eastbound Phillip Channel route. Two armed men boarded the ship.

The crew found the intruders on the stern deck of the ship, and after a mutual encounter, one of the sailors was attacked by the intruders armed with knives, who then fled the scene.

The tanker had to sail to Singapore's Eastern Petroleum A anchorage immediately after the incident, where a ship-to-ship cargo transfer took place on Wednesday.

The injured crew member has been taken to hospital for treatment, and the condition of his injuries has not been disclosed. There were no further details about the attack. Officials said only: "One of the sailors was stabbed multiple times."

Ambrey further stated that no property was reported stolen during the attack. The tanker was travelling at a speed of 8.5 knots at the time of the incident, with a height of about 8.7 metres (freeboard), and no hull damage was reported.

Ambrey warned that vessels with a freeboard height of less than 10 metres are at a higher risk of attack while sailing in the Singapore Strait and recommended the following precautions:

1. Block the entrance to accommodation and ship storage areas;

2. Do not be alone, seafarers should conduct joint deck patrols;

3. If you encounter armed people, do not attempt a confrontation.

In recent years, piracy and armed attacks in the Singapore Strait and its surrounding waters have rebounded, posing serious challenges to the safety of passing ships.

In a number of previous incidents in the area, sailors have been tied up and beaten. It is the first time in recent years that seafarers have been reported to have been stabbed multiple times.