Piracy – Nato Update on Number of Recent Attacks

NATO  records one merchant ship and one dhow hijacked & three other attacks, as well two areas of suspicious activity reported

As it is now the monsoon transition period and the sea states become more favourable for small boats, it is expected that pirate activity will continue to increase.

Southern Red Sea (SRS) /Bab Al Mandeb (BAM) / Gulf of Aden (GOA)/Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC)

A dhow was hijacked approximately 10 nm northeast of Raas Caseyr light, Somalia, in vicinity of position 12 00N 051 22E.  It is believed to be white in colour, and its current location remains unknown. 

There has been an increase of piracy related activity in the Arabian Sea, as the weather has been favourable for small boats. 

A merchant vessel was attacked by one skiff approximately 300nm southeast of the Omani coast, in position 16 58N 064 48E  and another merchant vessel was attacked by two skiffs approximately 140nm northeast of Socotra Island.

Elsewhere, a merchant vessel was attacked by one skiff as a part of a whaler PAG approximately 300nm west of the north Seychelles, in position 05 21S 049 18E
Another merchant vessel was hijacked 200nm west of the northern Maldives in position 07 00N 069 49E
A pirate attack group has been confirmed active approximately 160nm off the coast of central Somalia, in vicinity of position 08 30 N 053 00 N  The PAG is reported as a suspicious blue coloured skiff with 7 persons on board and a hooked ladder.

Masters were advised to proceed through these areas with extreme caution, and be aware that the PAGs responsible for the recent attacks in the north Arabian Sea are still believed to be near the areas of the attacks.