Security guards on superyacht Kalizma opened fire on Yemen Coast Guard boats in Yemen last Friday, allegedly mistaking them for pirates.
According to international news, after failing to reply to radio requests, the Yemeni Coast Guard approached the vessel. As they approached, the armed men on board began to fire. One Yemeni Coast Guard individual was killed as approximately 200 rounds of ammunition were exchanged.
The Yemeni Coast Guard fired and pursued the yacht for about an hour until it finally answered to radio calls, resolving the misunderstanding report. The Coast Guard stated that the boat was acting “in a very suspicious manner” because it was carrying armed men and was nearing the Yemeni coast.
As Deutsche Welle reported, earlier that day, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations issued a warning that three boats, each carrying three or four people, had fired on a vessel in the Gulf of Aden.
The organization, which works under the British Royal Navy to secure global maritime routes, eventually reduced the shooting from attack to a incident and stated that it was “confirmed by authorities as a government agency event.”
The Kalizma is a 117-year-old luxury superyacht that has had various renowned owners, including Hollywood celebrities Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.
Piracy
The Gulf of Aden has been a hotspot for pirate activity with many incidents taking place every year. In response to widespread Somali-based piracy, The Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) corridor was established in 2009. To remind, despite the encouraging statistics, the latest IMB report called for continued, robust and coordinated regional and international naval presence to act as a deterrent to prevent and respond to piracy.
