After an attack on an OSV in Gabon over the weekend, new information suggests that the vessel may have been targeted with local authorities investigating people that were hired onshore to provide services to the vessel.
More specifically, family members of the crew as well as a representative of the management company Proactive Ship Management confirmed the violent nature of the attack.
As they said, the boarders came aboard shortly on September 5 and were reportedly armed with Ak-47s. They also opened fire when the Indian crew attempted to fight back. As a result, the ship’s chief officer and cook suffered multiple gunshot wounds and were taken to a hospital.
Furthermore, sources report that during the fight, the boarders threw the ship’s second engineer overboard. However, details are confused as some media claim that he might then have been kidnapped.
Describing the incident, Captain Sunil Kumar of Proactive said that the vessel developed problems with its propulsion system. While in the anchorage three people were hired from shore to provide services.
Now, the Gabon authorities are said to be investigating these three individuals for possible involvement in the attack.
