Ships passing through the Gulf of Guinea are increasingly targeted by pirates, their objective being the kidnapping of the crew and holding them for ransom.

However, it is not so often that we can see these attacks caught on camera in real life.

The video above shows a containership being approached by a group of eight armed pirates in a skiff on December 7, data from Asket shows.

The pirates, allegedly armed with AK 47 rifles, tried to board the vessel but were unsuccessful in their attempt as the boxship employed various evasive maneuvers thwarting the boarding.

The crew of the Singaporean vessel is reported to be safe.

There have been 15 attacks against commercial ships reported within a 60 nautical miles radius of Bony Island over recent weeks, data from maritime security firm Dryad Maritime shows.

This year alone, 56 mariners have been kidnapped off the Niger Delta, Dryad Maritime said.

Mariners crossing the region are advised to remain vigilant and exercise utmost caution when transiting the region.

World Maritime News Staff; Video Courtesy: CdM Portal