Tag: Gulf of Aden

Recent attacks against merchant shipping by pirates and armed robbers in Philippines, Western Indian Ocean and Red Sea Regions have highlighted the risks associated with  transiting these waters. SQE MARINE consulting company informs about the new security transit corridors which have been set in the aforementioned areas. 

In response to the piracy incidents in Gulf of Aden and Bab Al Mandeb, Combined Maritime Forces are establishing a Maritime Security Transit Corridor, to provide a recommended merchant traffic route around which Naval Forces can focus their presence and surveillance efforts.

The North of England P&I Club draws attention to a new UKMTO notice which urges vigilance to vessels transiting Bab El Mandeb from the Gulf of Aden, following recent attacks on two vessels which fired  upon with small arms and rocket propelled grenades from multiple small skiffs.

In view of the recent attacks against merchant shipping in the Gulf of Aden and Bab-el-Mandeb, Combined Maritime Forces reminds operators that there are still risks associated with transits through these waters. Daylight attacks by small boats have been conducted against the tankers MV Galicia Spirit in October 2016 and MT Muskie in May 2017.

The key IMO instrument helping to repress piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, called "the Djibouti Code of Conduct" is part of discussions at an international conference in Morocco, IMO informed.

On 16 May, an Indian anti-piracy patrol received a distress call from a Liberian-registered bulk carrier that reported an incident of attempted piracy by two suspicious mother vessels along with 7-8 skiffs, in Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ministry of Defense informed.

A Panamanian oil tanker was attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, off Balhaf, Yemen, on Saturday, April 15th, but was rescued by Chinese Naval Forces. A motor skiff with 5 armed men on board approached the "Alheera" vessel and tried to hijack it, by sending shots several times.

On the account of recent piracy incident on Indian Mechanized Sailing Vessel in Somalia region, the Indian Directorate General of Shipping issued a Maritime Security Advisory to ships transiting Gulf of Aden.

A Foreign Merchant Vessel MV OS 35, Tuvalu registered vessel, was attacked and boarded by pirates in the Gulf of Aden late night on 08 April 2017. Indian Naval ships responded to the incident and all 19 Filipino crew members are safe.

UK P&I club informed that, since the end of March, there has been a re-escalation in the number of suspicious approaches around the Southern Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden. This rise in activity has cumulated with the confirmed taking of one Indian Fishing Dhow CASAYR II and the MT ARIS 13, which was subsequently released.