The Office of Naval Intelligence has issued its Piracy Analysis and Warning Weekly (PAWW) Report for 11 – 17 August 2016. According to the report, pirate and maritime crime activity in East and West African waters is at a low level. There were no reported suspicious incidents during the past week.
On 11 August, an Indonesian tugboat crewman escaped from his Islamist militant captors in the Philippines by swimming out to sea after the militants threatened to cut his head off. Members of the Islamic State-linked Abu Sayyaf group captured the Indonesian, Mohammad Safyan, 28, and six other Indonesian seamen from their boat, the tugboat CHARLES, as it was passing through waters off southern Philippine islands on June 23.
On 17 August, an Indonesian Government official revealed that two Indonesians, who were held hostage in South Philippines, had been released. The release of the two Indonesians abducted by an armed militant group in the Philippines is reportedly a gift for the country as it coincides with the 71st anniversary of Indonesia’s independence. The crewmen are two of the seven crew members of tugboat CHARLES. The boat was hijacked by an armed group in the Sulu waters of the Philippines on June 23.
Further details may be found by reading ONI PAWW Report herebelow
Also read ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) report which rovides info on piracy threats to, and criminal action against, merchant vessels worldwide in the last 30 days (period 19 July – 17 August 2016)
Source: ONI
