Two pirate skiffs, carrying a total of four pirates onboard, approached and fired upon a tanker, while underway in the Gulf of Aden, on 31st of March, according to IMB piracy reporting centre.
As explained, the skiffs chased the ship and when closed in to around 100m from the tanker, the pirates started shooting against it, causing a minor damage.
The crew raised an alarm and mustered. The armed guards onboard the tanker returned fire, resulting in the pirates aborting the attack and moving away, IBM said.
All crew are reported safe. Ladders were seen in the skiffs.
Although Nigeria dominates piracy activity in recent months, Somali piracy is also a key area of concern for the global shipping industry. 2017 saw a resurgence of piracy attacks in Somali waters, starting with the hijacking of the Comoros Islands-registered oil tanker ‘Aris 13’ last February, which marked the first hijacking of a large merchant vessel in the area since 2012.
Earlier in 2018, the Dutch House of Representatives proposed the hiring of private security onboard Dutch vessels sailing in Somali waters, in case a Vessel Protection Detachment of the armed forces is not possible.
