Tag: Gulf of Aden

It will dispatch 369 navy personnel manning two vessels The Royal Thai Navy will dispatch 369 navy personnel manning two vessels to join international maritime patrol operations fighting piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Somalia, on July 12, according to a senior navy officer.Vice Admiral Taweewut Pongpiptat, assistant navy chief-of-staff for tactical operations, told a media briefing that the 140-day mission will begin next month with a Bt360m (US$12m) budget allocated for the joint operations with 25 other nations.The Thai navy contingent is set to depart from Chuk Samet port in the eastern province of Rayong on July 12.Source: Seatrade Asia

A matter of great importance Yemen's ports have boosted security in recent weeks, port and maritime sources say, as international concern grows that the country's slide into chaos could embolden militants based there.Yemen, the Arab world's poorest country and neighbour to the world's biggest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, relies heavily on its sea lanes for trade. Aden is Yemen's biggest port and one of the largest natural harbours in the world. Mukalla is a smaller port situated in the Gulf of Aden.Other terminals serving Yemen include Saleef, Hodeidah and Mokha on the Red Sea, the oil export terminal at Ash Shihr, and the LNG export terminal at Balhaf."Security at the ports - the gateways to Yemen - remains a matter of great importance to the three port corporations which have responsibility for ports," said Roy Facey, port development adviser to the Port of Aden. "And measures have been taken to harden the boundaries around key facilities," he told Reuters.Maritime specialists familiar with the ports said new razor wire barriers had been installed around some of these facilities and armed guards had been posted at gates where previously unarmed watchmen were responsible for entry points.The Yemen Coastguard continues to protect the ...

Marine Safety Advisory No.63-11 The Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) has issued the following advisories: A merchant vessel reported coming under fire at 1639Z on 15 May in position 14:09N-055:25E, approximately 171nm northeast of Socotra Island, Yemen in the Gulf of Aden. This area will remain high risk for at least the next 24-48 hours.For further information, click here.Source: Republic of the Marshall Islands

Attacked by a speedboat carrying seven armed pirates The Islamic Republic of Iran Navy warships have saved the Iranian oil-tanker, Damavand, from a pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden. Damavand was attacked by a speedboat carrying seven armed pirates while sailing in the Gulf of Aden, south of Yemen, Fars News Agency reported.In their 11th confrontation with pirates this year, Iran's Navy forces thwarted the attack through their speedy action and effective use of firepower. As a result of the conflict, all pirates fled and the Iranian tanker Damavand resumed its journey in complete safety.Iran has recently stepped up efforts to combat piracy in the unstable areas of the Gulf of Aden and Horn of Africa, and secure its commercial vessels through their journeys throughout regional waters.The Gulf of Aden -- which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea -- is an important energy corridor, particularly because Persian Gulf oil is shipped to the West through the Suez Canal.Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari has also voiced Iran's readiness to protect foreign ships likely to fall victim to pirate attacks in piracy-stricken international waters.Iran's Navy fleets have escorted almost 1,000 Iranian commercial ships ...

Foreign governments have to take measures for piracy Indian seafarers are threatening to refuse to sail to the pirate-infested waters of the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean if foreign governments fail to halt the increasing violent attacks on seafarers.The statement from Abdul Gani Serang, general-secretary of the National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI), follows growing concern in India about the risks to Indian seafarers.There have been nationwide protests following the continued kidnap of seven Indian crew members of the Asphalt Venture, who Somali pirates still hold captive despite the payment of a ransom to release the ship and eight other crew members. Somali pirates currently hold captive about 50 Indian seafarers.Abdul Gani Serang commented that: They are kidnapped, taken hostage and going through terrible psychological trauma, and even their families suffer in silence. But little attention is given by international governments.Meanwhile, naval forces operating in the Gulf of Aden and other danger waters are continuing to take action to prevent attacks and rescue victims. In an operation in the Gulf of Oman on 16 May, naval forces are reported to have killed four pirates attacking the German-owned, Panama-flagged supertanker Artemis Glory.On 13 May, a French warship disrupted a ...

Marine Safety Advisory No.63-11 The Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) has issued the following advisories: A merchant vessel reported coming under fire at 1639Z on 15 May in position 14:09N-055:25E, approximately 171nm northeast of Socotra Island, Yemen in the Gulf of Aden. This area will remain high risk for at least the next 24-48 hours.For further information, click here.Source: Republic of the Marshall Islands

Marine Ops Note 08/2010 - Marine Security Advisory 01/2011- MSC.1/Circ.1337 In response to piracy attacks that have occurred outside the previously defined pirate activity area, the Liberian Administration has revised the setting of MANDATORY SECURITY LEVEL II for all Liberian flagged vessels when transiting the Gulf of Aden and the High Risk Area (HRA) for piracy in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean., effective immediately.For further information, click here.Source: Republic of Liberia

5-12 May 2011 During the reporting period (5-12 May 2011) there have been five attacks, three approaches and one suspicious incident in total. None of these events resulted in the seizure of a vessel.The location of the suspicious activity near to the coast of Iran could be assessed as an act of maritime crime committed by local copy cats. All activities in this period occurred in the Arabian Sea between 10 and 25N, 55 and 70E.Actions by coalition warships along the Somali coast focused on identified staging areas used by the pirates resulted in the disruption of three Pirate Attack Groups (PAG). FV JIH CHUN TSAI 68, and JELBUT 24 have been retaken from the pirates. FV PRANTALY 12, although still in pirate possession, is no longer in a seaworthy state and, according to a pirate statement, will be returned without ransom payment in due course.Despite coalition force activities, there are clear indications that the pirates are preparing to increase their activity and trying to penetrate the warship barrier. One vessel, Jelbut 33, although repeatedly relocated by patrol aircraft, managed to pass the warships undetected and is now operating in the area 20 to 25N and 60 to 65E.Based on ...

28 April - 5 May 2011 During the reporting period (28 April - 05 May 11) and compared to previous weeks, overall piracy activity slightly increased. In total, one MV was successfully pirated off the Kenyan coast.Additionally, there were two attacks in the Somali Basin East of 65 E, one approach off the coast of Oman, as well as two suspicious incidents in the Arabian Sea and one in the GOA respectively. Although two dhows have been successfully disrupted shortly after having left their anchorage, two dhows, one whaler PAG and the FV Jih Chun Tsai have been located by patrol aircraft underway on probable mother ship operations.Consequently it is now assessed that two dhow PAG are operating in the Arabian Sea one in the area between 17 and 23 degrees N and 57 and 63 degrees E and the second between 10 to 15 N and 65 to 70 E. Jih Chun Tsai, in company with Jelbut 33 remains in the area 5 to 10N and 50 to 55E on changing courses and giving no indication of their operational intentions.Jelbut 32 currently located in the area 0 to 5N and 50 to 55E on an easterly heading, might very ...

Planning to allow shipping companies recruit armed guards The government is planning to allow shipping companies recruit armed guards to fight pirates, who have hijacked 12 Indian merchant ships in last four years.Ministries of shipping, external affairs and defence are working in tandem to come out with an enabling framework that will help to improve security apparatus on commercial vessels.The industry has been seeking government permission to strengthen their on-board security apparatus specially on ships that use the busy Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean route, where Somali pirates have recently hijacked ships with Indian crew. Although the pirate have not attacked any passenger ship, they have hijacked 12 Indian merchant ships since 2007 and taken 171 crew members hostage."The government is considering the proposal (to allow armed guard on board ships),' the official spokesperson of the Indian Navy said. The three ministries involved in the process have already held discuission with the industry to finalise the contours of the proposed norms."We are considering two options. One is to bring out a law and the second is to issue an executive order, which will be a faster way to safeguard our ships. However, the talks have not concluded as ...