More proof of increasing pirate activity off the east coast of Africa comes with an EUNavFor announcement of small arms being fired at on oil tanker this week as well as suspected RPG fire at another vessel.
“The tanker, MT NAVIG8 Providence, came under attack by suspected armed pirates in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday (June 1).
“She was at sea 100 nautical miles east of Muscat when approached by six armed men in a skiff. It is understood there was an exchange of small arms fire between the suspects and the maritime security team aboard the tanker.
“In an email to EUNavFor, the master of the MT NAVIG8 Providence stated his ship’s protection team saw a ladder in the skiff.
“After carrying out defensive manoeuvres in accordance with the Shipping Industry recognised Best Management Practices (BMP4), together with the armed response from MT NAVIG8 Providence’s protection team, the suspected pirates broke off their attack and the vessel and crew are now safe,” EUNavFor’s Commander Jacqui Sheriff said.
The day before a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker was approached and fired on by three men in a skiff in the southern Bab-el-Mandeb (BAM) strait.
The vessel’s master reported his vessel was fired upon by three rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), before the assailants broke off the attack. The tanker is safe and en route to her next port.
The incident took place in the BAM – a sea area not traditionally used by Somali-based pirates to attack merchant ships. EUNavFor is liaising with naval force partners in the region to gather more information and assess the exact nature of the incident.
Speaking about the incident Sheriff, said: “EUNavFor has not received any information confirming that piracy-related tripwires/equipment were observed during the attack. This indicates the incident is probably related to the continuing instability at sea off the coast of Yemen. That said, masters of merchant vessels transiting the piracy high risk area are reminded to remain vigilant, adhere to BMP and report any suspicious activity at sea to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre”.
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